Bends of the Heart
by agnikai58
Summary: War is the only thing Korra has ever known until a woman arrives from the north with an offer of peace. All it'll take is giving up her hand in marriage to a complete stranger and venturing out into a world she knows nothing about. Fortunately she has someone who can show her the way. Her fiance, Asami Sato. -BDSM/PTSD content. Slow burn.
1. Chapter 1

Off the shore of the world's coldest desert, amidst a gathering of massive icebergs jutting high out of the ocean, was a solitary craft. The vessel was just wide enough for a single person to sit and long enough for even a tall man to lie down. Its hull was made of hide that had been stretched taut then lashed onto a frame wrought of wood. A single person dressed in bulky furs covering them from head to toe sat in the middle of the craft. Next to the occupant's boots rested a spear and two woven buckets filled to the brim with fish. An almost total silence hung in the air save for the faint splash of an oar dipping into the glacial water. The boat passed beneath an archway of ice and exited the mass of icebergs when its occupant dug their paddle into the water and came to an abrupt halt.

Further ahead in the bay was a ship, perhaps twenty times as long as the other and its top deck was nearly as high in the air as the icebergs lurking nearby. Dark windows lined the upper levels and its white hull was all sleek lines that curved to a rounded point at the bow. There was another small boat beached on the shore and a solitary figure stood nearby. The person in the boat eased their oar into the water so as not to make a sound and moved backwards towards the area they had come from.

The figure on the shore was a man with a wool cap pulled down over his ears. His pants and jacket were both made of the same thick gray canvas . His gloved hands were tucked into his armpits and he shuffled his feet in hopes of keeping his legs warm. Puffs of white mist floated in front of his face as he started to pace in an effort to keep warm. When he turned around a woman with a spear in one hand was standing there. Long dark brown locks of hair framed both sides of her face was standing there and her cyan eyes narrowed as she glared at him. She thrust one arm forwards, fingers curled into a fist.

A thick column of water rose up out of the ocean and arced through the air as it slammed against his torso before he could react. Air rushed from his lungs as his back hit the ground with a loud thud. "Roll over and put your hands behind your back."

Her voice was harsh and full of stark anger. He started to roll over before stopping with a grimace. "I think you broke some of my ribs."

She jabbed the spear towards him, but stopped short of skewering his larynx. "Be quiet. One more word and you die." The woman crooked the fingers of her free hand and a patch of snow by her feet dissolved into liquid as it flew up into the air. She flicked her fingers and the water flew towards the man, wrapping around his chest and arms before hardening into ice. Her forearm moved upwards, raising him off the ground before setting him on his feet. Her spear pointed inland. "Move."

As he turned to face the direction indicated the waterbender waved her hand at the ground. The footprints she had left during her approach began to shake. In seconds the compacted snow had been loosened and resettled until it was even with the surrounding area. She threw a glare towards the man and he started walking while trying to ignore the stabbing pain in his side, a task exacerbated by having to walk on icy ground covered in a thin layer of snow. As they walked she continued wiping out the trail they left in the snow.

Several minutes later and the two were climbing up a sloping ridge. After getting to the top the man came to an abrupt halt. On the other side of the ridge, out of sight of the shoreline, were a score of white domes sitting adjacent to a large patch of bare tundra. Most of them were small save for the one in the middle. It was as large as all the others put together and several camel yaks were crunching on greenery spread on the ground in front of it. Men were scattered throughout the domes. Some were busy working carcasses with knives while others packed meat and other parts that had frozen overnight into hide bags. Several of the men weren't doing anything aside from talking animatedly to each other as they glanced at the central igloo. She grabbed the back of the man's jacket and pushed him forward down the slope towards that group. "Nalon!"

A wiry man with a thin black beard turned as his name was shouted. "Korra? Bolin? What is going on?"

"Why are you all just standing around?" Korra pointed her spear back towards the ocean. "There's a ship out there! We should be breaking camp and getting out of here... wait, Bolin?" Korra blurted out after realizing Nalon hadn't just been speaking to her. "Who is Bolin?"

"That would be me." Korra's head turned towards the man she had attacked earlier. To her surprise, there was still some cheer, albeit strained, on his face despite having his ribs broken then being taken prisoner. He shambled towards Nalon, putting the man between him and Korra. "I don't want to bother you guys, but my side really hurts and it'd be _fantastic_ if you keep her from killing me."

Korra's eyes flicked back and forth between Bolin and Nalon before she thrust her spear into the snow. She waved her hand at Bolin and the band of ice around his chest trickled down the front of his jacket as it dissolved into water. Nalon knowing Bolin's name meant they must have spoken and chosen to leave him at the shoreline at some point. The obvious question was why and it would be best to get the answer from the person responsible for that decision. "Do what you want with him."

Korra strode past them before pushing past the thick curtain hanging in the entryway of the central igloo. Dozens of hide bags and baskets full from the efforts of the hunters lined the walls of the igloo. In the middle, sitting cross-legged atop a pair of furs were two people. The first was the largest and tallest man in their hunting party, perhaps of the entire Southern Water Tribe. There might be some who were near as heavy, but none of those scant few had muscles anywhere near as thick as his. A pointed beard covered his chin and his dark brown hair rested on his shoulders. He turned to look behind him as she came in. "Hello, Korra."

"Hello, dad." Korra replied as she looked at the chief of her tribe, her father. Over the years she had seen a myriad of emotions on his face. Rage, grief, adoration, determination and fear just to name a few, but now there was one that she hadn't encountered before. Disquiet. Korra swung her attention towards the other person present and the only possible reason why her father seemed troubled. Their neck and everything south of it was hidden beneath a bulky canvas coat and pants, both the same dull gray. Despite that, a single look at the woman's heart shaped face with its high cheekbones and ruby lips was enough for Korra to realize she was looking at the most beautiful woman she had ever seen. Glossy raven tresses spilled out from underneath a wool cap, her face was near as pale as the snow and a pair of light green eyes was looking back at her. "Who is this?"

Left unspoken was the word outsider, but the woman seemed to pick up on it if that faint sardonic smile was any indication. "This is who you were speaking of, Tonraq?" Her father nodded and the woman gave Korra an appraising glance as she switched the position of her legs. "Well then, I suppose I should start from the beginning then. Would you care to take a seat? This isn't a short conversation."

Korra glanced at the space available next to Tonraq before folding her arms across her chest. The woman waited a few seconds, but Korra didn't move. "Okay then... well my name is Asami Sato and I have some good news for you. The Fire Lord has died."

Her legs started to buckle and Korra rushed to sit down lest they give way beneath her. The sister who had bested her brother to claim the throne was gone. The Fire Lord who had ordered her raiders to kill everyone instead of searching for waterbenders was no more. Her forces had harried the Southern Water Tribe without relent until they fled inland. They had taken up shelter in the most remote locations they could find. Places of such intense cold that any person who could bend fire found themselves unable to do so. Even that hadn't been enough to dissuade them and they came with sword and spear, axe and bow, determined to achieve their grim task. Their ships patrolled the shores night and day, hoping to find the hunting camps that kept their people from dying of starvation. The faceless enemy who haunted Korra's dreams as far back as she could remember was gone. Azula was dead. "_How_?"

"I don't know." Asami said with a shrug. "There hasn't been any official word, but plenty of rumors over the last month. Heart attack, stroke, poisoned, fell and hit her head. What we _do_ know is that the Fire Nation called all of their forces home and there's reports of fighting in the capital city."

Korra looked to her right towards her father. "This explains why we haven't seen any ships and why there hasn't been any attacks the last month..." Her voice trailed off and she turned her attention back to Asami, suspicion rising within her. "So why are you here? You wouldn't go to the trouble of finding us and letting us know that Azula is dead out of the goodness of your heart."

Asami's eyes widened and she stared at Korra for several seconds, taken aback, before answering. "I guess we'll save the pleasantries for later..." Her back straightened and there was a briskness to her voice that hadn't been there earlier when she spoke again. "I'm from a place called Republic City. It's a metropolis in the northwestern Earth Kingdom. I'll spare you the details, but ever since Azula took the throne she's completely ignored the colonies except for demanding soldiers and taxes. Other than that they've been governing themselves for the last seventy years and now that Azula is dead... we're completely on our own."

"What does any of that have to do with us?" Korra asked, unsure where Asami was going with this. "We haven't had contact with the outside world in decades, aside from Fire Nation soldiers trying to kill us."

"The United Republic, that's what we've named ourselves, is in an unusual position. We're part Fire Nation and part Earth Kingdom, but we don't belong to either nation. After a lot of... discussion, we've decided the best way forward isn't to be a part of either nation. Instead we want to be a place where members of all four nations are welcome. To accomplish that we've formed a council that will have representatives from each nation on it."

"So that's why you're here? To try and find someone to represent the Southern Water Tribe on this council?" Korra mused. "That sounds easy enou-"

"That's not quite all." Asami said as she cut Korra off. "We want stronger ties to the other nations than that. We want to formalize these alliances through..." A red tinge appeared on Asami's cheeks before she almost whispered the last word of her sentence. "...marriage."

Korra's mouth worked silently as she stared blankly at Asami, her mind working overtime to try and process that. After several long moments had passed her head panned towards her father. He might be the most respected chief in the Southern Water Tribe, but he was already married. That could only mean the person Asami was talking about marrying was... "Would you excuse us, Asami?" Korra asked, her voice far calmer than it had been earlier.

"S-sure, I'll be outside." Asami got up to her feet and was out the door in a flash.

The instant after the woman stepped outside Korra bunched her hand into a fist and moved it sideways across her chest. The snow-blocks making up the doorway collapsed inwards sealing father and daughter off from the people outside. "Is that what the two of you were talking about when I wasn't here!? Do you really think you could talk about me marrying anyone, let alone an outsider, behind my back!?"

Korra slammed her fist against the ground and the walls of the igloo began to shake and flakes of snow fell as she glared at her father. Tonraq looked around him at the walls and ceiling before raising his hand into the air and curling his fingers. The structure shook a moment longer before growing still. "Of course not, Korra. If I had known what she intended to discuss then I would have waited until you returned to camp."

"What _were _you planning to discuss with her?"

"It's like you said, Korra. There haven't been any ships or attacks recently so when Nalon saw their ship, he realized it was a chance to get information."

Korra's eyes flicked towards the wall as she looked away from her father, hoping to conceal her chagrin. That was the exact reason she had brought Bolin here. She hadn't seen any sign of injury to Asami which meant the woman had come of her own free will. If Korra had bothered to talk to Bolin then odds were that he would have done the same thing without her needing to attack him. She had more important things to worry about at the moment, however. "Did you learn anything besides what she told me?"

Tonraq shook his head as he frowned at the spot where the door had been. "No, I'm afraid not. The story she told you was the same as the one she told me down to the last detail. Either she's a good liar or she's telling the truth…"

Korra's brow furrowed while she stared down at the floor, thoughts rushing by as she considered the choices in front of her. "It doesn't matter whether she's lying or not. We don't know what's happening in the world and accepting her offer is the best way to find out."

Her father rubbed at his beard, as if trying to find the right words, before replying. "Are you sure that's what you want to do? If your goal is information then we can build you a boat capable of crossing the ocean and you wouldn't have to... marry this woman."

"I get it." Korra said as she put a hand on Tonraq's shoulder. "You taught me that people should marry for love. However, you've also taught me that a chief has to put their people first. If I do this then I can find out about this so-called United Republic and I can try to get in touch with the Northern Water Tribe. If Azula really is gone and the war is over then I can do more to help us rebuild out there than I can from here."

"It could be a trap."

"Maybe, but I've fought my way out of plenty of tough situations before. This is worth the risk though. Any other objections?"

"Aside from figuring out what I'm going to tell your mother? No. I just wish that you weren't the one who has to do this."

Korra waited a moment longer, but nothing more was forthcoming and she rose to her feet. She waved her fingers at the curtain and the blocks behind it separated themselves from each other. "Would you come in, Asami?"

The other woman stepped back into the igloo and fixed her gaze on Korra. "What is it?"

As Korra stepped forward she realized the other woman was taller than her and she had to look up to meet those green eyes. She took Asami's gloved hands in hers and took a deep breath to steady herself. "So we've talked it over and I accept your offer. I'll marry you."

For her people's sake.


	2. Chapter 2

Asami's fingers lingered in Korra's grasp as she gazed into the other woman's cyan irises. She had known this was the goal before sailing out of Republic City's harbor. It had been discussed by the council for several days before being voted upon. Asami had been told about it by her father and she had volunteered herself to be one of the people who would secure the United Republic's future. Even so, it wasn't until this moment that the gravity of her goal sank in. She had just gotten engaged. This woman, this utter and absolute stranger, standing in front of Asami was going to be her wife and Asami hers. "You will? Neat."

Korra blinked and she exchanged a glance with Tonraq. Asami jerked her hands free and she covered her mouth. "Wait, no it's not. I mean it is neat...okay this is coming out all wrong. I'm going to go look around if you don't mind."

She took a step backwards then turned around and hurried out the doorway. _'Great first impression, Asami. You definitely didn't make yourself look like a nimrod in there. Okay, let's give it a few minutes to let that wear off then go back and try again.'_

Asami's gaze flitted around the camp as she tramped through the snow. The group of men she had encountered earlier were still standing around in the same area as the last time she had seen them. One of them noticed her looking towards them and he motioned to the others and they fell silent as they met her gaze. Asami hesitated then sped up as she headed away from them towards the other side of the igloo, their stares seeming like they were burning holes in the back of her jacket. _'I wonder how long it's been since they've seen someone who _wasn't_ part of the Fire Nation...'_

As she went round the igloo, Asami came across a pair of individuals. The first was faced towards the building, his hands planted against on the wall as he leaned forward. The second had a glowing globule of water between his hands which he was running up and down along the first man's side. "Bolin? Nalon? He's healing you? What happened?" Asami blurted.

Bolin grinned at her, but he winced and it dissolved into a grimace. "I was staying by the boat like you said, but this crazy woman snuck up on me and hit me really hard with a waterblast. Like so hard that it broke some of my ribs. I would have explained what we were doing here, but she said she'd kill me if I said anything."

"What!? Why would she do that?" Asami exclaimed as she turned her gaze towards Nalon.

The waterbenders hands slowed, but didn't stop, as he turned his head a fraction to look sidelong at Asami. "Because her job is to protect our people. It's been quiet lately so we felt it was safe enough for her to help us hunt and fish. Korra must have spotted Bolin and thought raiders were attacking."

"Huh? She sees Bolin and immediately decides that he's the enemy? Without even talking to him?"

Nalon's hands came to a halt and he turned to face Asami, though he kept the globule around his hands. "You have to understand our position. We've been getting raided for decades. At least one a week and often more than that. There's been months where we were attacked every single day. Korra's spent most of her life fighting Fire Nation soldiers. You're the first outsiders she's met that weren't trying to kill her."

"Most of her life? How long would that be, may I ask?"

"This is Korra's twentieth summer." Nalon answered as his hands started to move once again. Bolin let out a sigh of relief and his head sagged lower as the healing resumed.

_'So she's almost as old as I am. Twenty years of being hunted though. I see why they're so cautious, but the others didn't attack us on sight. Just her...'_ "What can you tell me about Korra, Nalon? Anything would be helpful."

"I'm not sure why you're interested, but if you want to know more about Korra then you'll have to ask her... your... self."

As his voice trailed off Nalon's hands came to a stop and he tilted his head to the side while looking past her. Asami drew back at the sudden alertness in his gaze before turning around and putting a hand over her eyes. Up the rising slope, above hills far away were wisps of white fog drifting in the air. As she watched they grew thicker and seemed as if they were coming closer.

"Katabatic."

"Huh?" Bolin and Asami said at the same time as the water fell from Nalon's hands.

He moved towards the entrance way and after a second's hesitation Asami followed after him as he called out to the rest of the camp. "Katabatic heading our way. Looks like a strong one!"

The words had barely left his lips before the others had sprung into action, even the group that had been standing about. The workers who had been skinning and dressing their harvest threw their tools on the ground next to their catch. Mounds of ice appeared over each area, freezing carcass and tool alike in them. Some started levitating water onto the domes of the igloos before freezing it in place while others were grabbing the harnesses of the camels and leading them into the large igloo. After all of them were inside the men came back out, followed by Korra and Tonraq. Asami looked at the ongoing flurry of activity before taking a step closer towards the chief and his daughter. "Nalon said -"

"I heard." Tonraq interrupted her as he looked up at the hills to the south. "Korra, you take Asami and you'll take Bolin, Nalon."

"Take us whe-"

Before she had finished speaking a harsh rumbling came from uphill and the remainder of her sentence was snatched away. A wave of white particles tumbled and twisted through the air as it drew closer and it was blasting over and through the entire camp. Desiccated air, colder than any she had ever experienced, smacked against Asami's exposed cheeks with a cruel sting and a burning pain ignited in her lungs. Another gust came rushing through and Asami swayed as the wind buffeted her. Korra grabbed her hand and pulled her towards one of the igloos before pushing her inside. She turned towards the entrance and brought her fist across her chest, sealing the entrance off and muting the now steady howling of the tempestuous blasts.

Asami staggered forward, a hand on her chest. Korra put a hand on her back and side and eased Asami to sit on a bundle of furs in the middle of the igloo. "Keep breathing and it'll pass, Asami. Your lungs will recover on their own."

Asami rubbed at the center of her chest as she slowly inhaled and exhaled. The air in here was still freezing, but nowhere as cold as that gust of wind had been. After the burning had subsided she glanced at where the doorway had been. "What did you call that? Katabic? I've never felt anything that cold before."

"Katabatic wind. Cold air builds up higher on the plains or hills and eventually it gets dense enough that it starts to flow downhill. They're pretty common, but this is a strong one."

"Are they dangerous?"

"They can be, but these igloos are safe if we reinforce the walls so we're fine in here."

Asami pushed herself up to her feet and moved towards where the door had been. Her hands shoved against the blocks to no avail. "Let me out. My friends could be in danger, I need to go warn them."

"No." Korra's voice was soft, but resolute. "The temperature is far below zero and visibility is limited now. If I let you out then you'll lose your way in the storm and freeze to death. Your friends will be fine. Your ship is large enough these blasts won't capsize it and once they realize what's happening they'll head away from shore to safer waters. Once the storm passes they'll return."

Asami turned away from the wall and slumped down until she was sitting on her rear end. Her head thumped against the wall as she fixed her gaze on Korra. "So now what?"

Korra waved a hand at herself and the water clinging to the outside of her fur outfit was pulled loose and added to the wall. She sat down on the fur blankets before tugging her boots off and setting them aside. "It's getting late so we might as well go to sleep and hope the storm has passed in the morning. I wasn't expecting company on this trip so I didn't bring more blankets. There's enough room for both of us, but it'll be a tight fit."

One of her hands dug into a pocket and when it came out there was a gold pocket watch in Asami's hand. She flipped it open and peered at the hands. "Twenty after eleven... this midnight sun is so weird." Asami muttered as she put the watch away. She looked down at the blanket, then at Korra, then at the blanket again. _'Well there's nowhere else for me to sleep and she _is_ my fiance now so this isn't _quite_ taboo...'_

Asami took a step forward before looking down at herself. "My clothes are wet so can you do that thing you just did?" Korra waved her fingers again and the liquid on the outside of Asami's jacket streamed off in rivulets before freezing to the floor. Asami crouched down and undid the laces of her boots before pulling them off and moving forward onto the furs next to Korra.

The waterbender lifted up a corner of the blankets and slid into the pile before holding it up. Asami crawled in after her, but lingered on the edge of the blanket, more off than on. Asami stiffened as one of Korra's arms curled around her waist and pulled her closer until their bodies were almost pressed together. "I told you this was going to be a tight fit. Neither of us is comfortable with this, but it's only for one night and it's better than hypothermia."

Korra let go of the blankets and they fell to the ground, shutting out the light. Asami reached down towards her waist, intending to grab Korra's arm and move it off of her. Her hand fell on Korra's bicep and she froze. _'Holy crap, that's a lot more muscle than I was expecting. I wonder if the rest of her is as muscular as her arms. I can't tell with that outfit she's wearing, but if she wasn't wearing... no stop it. Bad libido. Don't put thoughts like that in my head. This is a political marriage plus she attacked Bolin so that sort of thing isn't happening.'_

Asami pushed the arm off of her though she didn't move away from the other woman. It was still cold even with the blankets and Korra's body was surprisingly warm. Outside the winds were still howling, but they were quiet compared to the cacophony racing through her mind at the moment. Asami wasn't sure what she had been expecting on this trip, other than getting engaged, but so far the woman lying next to her wasn't it.


	3. Chapter 3

A white car with a blue leather top streaked down the middle lane of the highway. There were vehicles flanking it in the lanes to its left and right, but none of them stayed there for long. The car raced ahead, ever faster and faster as it left them all behind. Asami jammed her foot against the brake, pushing it all the way to the floor. The car continued to accelerate. She grabbed a hold of the wheel and spun it to one side then the other. The car continued to accelerate. Asami hit the latch of her seatbelt and threw the belt aside before trying the door. It didn't open. She looked to her right just as the car went over the edge of the unfinished bridge. The swiftly approaching ground took up more and more of the windshield until she couldn't see anything else. Asami's eyes shot open to blackness in every direction. _'Wait, where am I? Why is it so dark?'_

A rasping sound came from her right and Asami's head snapped towards it. There was a brief pause before the sound came a second time, this one longer than the first. _'Oh right, I'm in Korra's igloo... I guess I shouldn't be surprised she snores. I just hope she doesn't like to sleep in since I'm stuck in here until she wakes up.'_

Asami grabbed the edge of the blankets on her side and lifted them up. She started to ease her legs out when Korra shot upright to a sitting position. Her eyes darted all around as she scanned the igloo all around her, fist held in the air, before they focused on Asami. Asami gave a weak smile. "Good morning, Korra."

After a moment Korra's hand dropped back to her side. "Morning. Looks like the storm's passed." She leaned forwards, over Asami's legs and grabbed her boots. "I'm guessing you need to use the bathroom." Korra waved her hand and a portion of ice in one of the 'corners' shifted into liquid before heading off to another 'corner.' "Let me know when you're done so I can take my turn."

Korra pulled her boots on and opened up the doorway before disappearing. Asami stared after her for a moment before crawling towards the hole. Frozen waste filled the bottom and her stomach churned. _'You've got to be kidding. This is her toilet? Well, when in Republic City...'_

"I'm never doing that again." Asami muttered to herself afterwards as she stepped out of the igloo. "All yours, Korra."

The waterbender disappeared into her igloo and Asami glanced around the camp. Most of the hunters were already out and back at the work they had abandoned the previous day. A couple of them were busy loading up the camels with bags. After a few seconds she saw a familiar face waving at her from the far side of the camp. Asami glanced behind her at Korra's igloo before heading towards said person. "Good morning, Bolin. How are your ribs doing?"

Bolin tentatively touched his side and grimaced in discomfort. "Nalon finished healing them last night, but they're still sore. I should be fine in a couple of days though. So how did your talk with Tonraq go? I didn't get the chance to ask yesterday because of the storm."

"Oh, well... I'm engaged now so we got what we came here for I guess."

"You did? To who? Is it one of these people out here?" Bolin's head swiveled back and forth between the members of the Southern Water Tribe currently present. "They all seem to be on the older side. You didn't get engaged to someone twice your age, did you?"

"No. This person is our age, a woman named Korra."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, okay, time out." Bolin pressed his hands together in front of him in the shape of a T. "_Korra_? The woman who attacked me yesterday? _That_ Korra!?"

Asami grimaced. "Yes, I'm afraid so. If I had the option I would pick someone else, but she's the chief's only child. We need to keep in mind that this is politics. We don't have to like her, but me marrying Korra cements the alliance we came here for."

"Which means that I need to try and forget what she did to me yesterday." Bolin sighed and rubbed at his neck. "I can manage that. Gotta say, though, I'm not envying you right now, Asami. From what I've seen so far Korra looks like she'll be a real handful. I don't suppose we can just leave her here and say that the two of you already got married?"

Asami laughed dryly and patted Bolin on the shoulder. "No, we can't do that. People need to see her to know that she's real and not someone we made up. It'll keep the opposition from saying that our alliance is illegitimate. I just hope it won't be too hard to talk her into coming back to Republic City with us. Maybe we should start with something small. Like breakfast."

Bolin glanced towards one of the icy carcasses before shuddering. "That's not a bad idea, but let's not eat here. I could use a hot meal after last night."

Asami turned towards the ridge obscuring their view of the ocean. "Me too. I just hope the yacht is there. Korra said it probably would probably head away from shore to escape the storm. Let me go take a look."

She strode forward up to the top of the ridge before shading her eyes. In the distance a white vessel was sitting in the middle of the bay, but facing in the opposite direction of the last time she had seen it. Asami turned back towards the camp and began to make her way down. As she reached the bottom Korra stepped out of the igloo while adjusting her pants. The waterbender glanced towards Asami before turning and heading towards another one of the igloos. She put a hand next to the door and leaned forward for a moment. Several seconds later and Tonraq emerged. The two of them were too far away for Asami to hear what they were saying to each other, but Tonraq had a solemn look on his face. After a minute he embraced his daughter and squeezed her tightly before letting go. Korra backed up before turning around and heading straight for Asami. "Shall we go? I'm eager to get to Republic City."

Asami and Bolin exchanged a glance. "What? Like right now?" Asami asked, taken aback by the sudden statement. "Don't you need to pack some clothes for the journey or some of your personal belongings?"

Korra looked down at her outfit then shook her head. "I already have all the clothes I need and I didn't bring any of my stuff on this hunting trip. If you're ready then so am I."

"Alright then, I guess it's time to go." Asami muttered as she turned back towards the ocean. As she started walking her fiance fell in beside her matching her stride for stride. Bolin looked back and forth between the two women before shaking his head and following along behind them.

After several minutes the trio arrived at the icy shoreline. Asami stopped moving at the water's edge and her head swiveled from one side to the other as she looked around the bay. "Where's the boat, Bolin?"

"Umm, it was right here when... I left it."

"It was probably blown away during the storm." Korra stated. "The boat wasn't anchored down from what I saw. Even if it had been the winds might have snapped the line anyways. You could try looking for it, but I wouldn't bet on finding it."

"Well, now what?" Bolin asked. "Are we supposed to swim?"

Korra waved her arm at the water and in seconds a bridge of ice, wide enough for several people to walk abreast, had formed across the surface. She started to walk forward, then stopped and looked back over her shoulder. "Coming?"

Neither of them moved for a moment then Asami placed one foot on the edge of the bridge. To her surprise the surface wasn't slick or slippery. It actually felt rough, enough so that her boot had no problem finding a grip. After a moment she took a step back and reached down to pick up a small frosty pebble from the shore and stuck it in her pocket. Bolin frowned at her before Asami shrugged and walked out onto the bridge. When she drew near to the end of the bridge Korra waved her arm again, faster this time, and the ice extended all the way to the rear of the vessel. When Korra got to the end she hopped up onto the deck before turning and holding her hand out. Asami grabbed it and Korra pulled, helping her up.

"Bolin! Asami!" Korra and Asami turned as a voice called out from up above. In short order, the source was descending the curving staircase towards them. A tall man with spiked black hair wearing the same gray canvas jacket, but with a red scarf around his neck, jumped the last few steps onto the bottom deck. "Are you both okay? That was a pretty nasty wind-storm last night."

Bolin grabbed the ladder at the back of the ship and started to pull himself up before grimacing and stopping. "Little help here, Mako?"

Mako grabbed Bolin's wrist and dragged him onto the ship, but not without another grimace from Bolin. "You okay, Bolin?"

"I slipped and fell on the ice." Bolin said, his gaze averted from Korra. "Little bruised, but nothing to worry about. How did you fare during the storm?"

"Pretty good. We all got a little freaked out when that first gust hit us, but Lee got us out of the bay in a hurry. There doesn't seem to be any damage, but I need to charge the batteries." Mako pulled a nearby metal hatch open. Inside were a myriad of metallic blocks and pipes of various shapes and sizes running throughout the compartment, including a metal rod jutting out from the block nearest the door. He pointed his index and middle finger at it and a bluish-white bolt of incandescent light cut a jagged streak through the air as it slammed into the rod.

Something flickered on the edge of Asami's vision and she turned her head towards it. Korra's hands had balled into fists, her knees had bent and her eyes had narrowed. More telling than that was the score of narrow tipped spikes of ice, each perhaps half a meter in length, hovering in the air to either side of her. '_Oh crap.'_

"Mako get down!"

The spikes streaked through the air only to crash against the metal hull and shatter as Mako threw himself to the floor. At the same time Asami hurled herself towards Korra, crouching lower to push her forehead against the woman's stomach while wrapping her hands around Korra's knees and driving forward. The two of them fell and Asami turned her head.

"Get out of here, Mako!"

Mako and Bolin's boots hammered against their stairs as both of them scrambled to get away. Korra's feet kicked at the ground as she thrashed like a wild animal desperate to get out from underneath Asami. Asami raised her hips into the air as she drove her shoulder downwards, keeping the waterbender pinned to the deck. "Korra stop!"

Korra's thrashing came to an abrupt halt and she glowered at Asami. "Why is there a _firebender_ on your ship!?"

Asami let go and she took her time in standing all the way up, half expecting Korra to start fighting again. "You've got a lot to learn, Korra. Not everyone who can firebend is your enemy. Like Mako. He's a good man and he's also my friend. If you had taken the time to actually talk to him instead of trying to kill him then you might have realized that. Now are you going to behave yourself?" Asami demanded.

"...Yes." Korra muttered sullenly.

"Good. If you'll come with me then I can show you your room."

As Korra stood up Asami closed the door leading to the engine room then headed for a walkway leading along the side of the ship. Korra gazed at the pathway of ice for a moment before waving her hand at it. The bridge shuddered, cracked, then dissolved and rejoined the sea as Korra followed after Asami. The other woman had stopped by a wooden door, which she held open for the waterbender. Inside was a hallway leading towards the front of the ship. The wooden floor was covered by sets of finely woven soft beige rugs and along each wall were a pair of doors along with another at the very end. Korra took a few steps inside then came to a halt as she looked around in confusion. "Why is it so hot in here? It's freezing outside."

Asami pointed at a metal grate in the ceiling. "The heater is running in here. Just because it's freezing outside doesn't mean we have to freeze inside. Your room's over here." Asami stopped by the last door on the right. "I'm in that one there." She pointed at the door on the end before opening the door to Korra's room and walking inside.

The walls were covered in wood overlays stained a rich dark brown. Rectangular windows on the side of the room adjacent to the hull were covered by tan blinds. In the center of the room itself was a raised bed-frame bearing a king size mattress covered by a white blanket patterned by lilac flowers and shrubs. Opposite the bed was another smaller room with a sliding door. Korra's eyes lingered on the bed for several seconds before she headed into the bathroom. A shower with a clear glass partition stood to her right and two sinks with polished silver faucets was in front of her. She turned one of the handles and water spewed out of the faucet. Korra brushed her finger against the stream before starting in surprise. "It's... warm. I've never felt water this warm before." Korra said in a soft voice as she passed her fingers back and forth through the stream.

_'She hasn't? If she's impressed by a faucet then I'd love to see how she reacts when she takes her first shower.'_ Asami cleared her throat. "Okay well, feel free to look around the boat if you'd like. I'm going to head up and tell the pilot to get us underway then get some breakfast started if you'd care to join us."

Korra didn't react, instead continuing to fiddle with the hot water handle, as if she hadn't heard. Asami lingered in the doorway a moment longer before closing the door behind her as she left the bedroom. She turned and headed back out to the walkway before moving forward towards another staircase going upwards. The brothers were already present on the second deck. Bolin was sitting in one of the armchairs while Mako was pacing back and forth. The second he noticed Asami Mako's voice rang out in a shout. "Bolin told me everything. _That's_ the person you're going to marry? What is her problem!?"

Asami sighed and she looked back over her shoulder towards the stairs leading to the bedrooms. "I'm afraid so. Korra and I are engaged. I'm not quite sure what the deal with her is just yet, but the fact you're a firebender doesn't help. I'm not blaming you for what happened, that was all Korra, but it might be best if you tried to avoid her on the way back, Mako."

"Yeah, sure. I'll try that. It's not like we're all stuck on this boat for a couple of days." Mako muttered as he rolled his eyes.

"Right... well I'll try to keep her below decks as much as I can. Would you mind charging the batteries now? It should be safe down there for the moment. Bolin, can you tell Lee we're ready to head home?"

While Mako started heading for the engine, and Bolin for the cockpit, Asami moved back towards the second staircase. As she reached the bottom deck the nose of the ship began to turn until it was pointed north.

Mako wasn't wrong, she knew. Two days on a vessel, even one as large and luxurious as this, with a bomb ready to explode at any moment was a recipe for disaster. The question on her mind was whether she could keep Korra's fuse from igniting. How she was supposed to accomplish that, Asami wasn't sure, but a hot meal wasn't a bad way to start.


	4. Chapter 4

"Anything I can do to help?"

Asami reached for the controls of the range and she turned one of the knobs to off. She grabbed one of the frying pans and scooped its contents out onto a nearby plate before glancing over her shoulder at Bolin. "Could you set the table? It'll only take a couple of minutes before I'm done here. Once you're done with that it'd be nice if you took a plate to Lee, Gerra... and Mako. I don't want to exclude Mako, but I also don't want another incident with Korra. It'd be nice if you joined us for breakfast though."

Bolin sighed and rubbed at his neck. "Okay, okay. I don't like this, but I'll be there. Just promise me you'll tackle her again if she gets aggressive." He pulled on one of the drawers and pulled out some forks and knives before opening a cabinet and retrieving some plates. As he headed towards the dining room, a kettle that had previously been gurgling began to whistle.

Asami picked it up, along with a thick black hotpad, and headed into the same room. "Hot water coming through." She set them both down on the middle of the table and grabbed a metal canister, full of tiny holes and several leaves of tea, and placed it into the kettle. Asami pulled her pocketwatch out and checked the minute hand before heading back into the kitchen. After a few minutes the tea had finished steeping and the last item of their breakfast was ready. Asami loaded three plates and a trio of mugs onto a tray and pushed it into Bolin's hands. "Tell Mako I'm sorry about all of this, but that I'll make it up to him somehow. I'll go get Korra so you don't have to worry about that."

As she headed down the walkway towards the sleeping quarters Asami's fingers tightened into fists before she forced herself to relax. _'Okay, this might be our first meal together and all that, but I'm going to have to try and deal with this now before it becomes an even bigger problem. What am I supposed to say to her though? I don't know this woman...'_

She strode down to the door of Korra's room and took a moment to straighten her outfit and put on a pleasant looking smile. Any hint of anger or displeasure might put the waterbender on the defensive and they wouldn't get very far if that happened. She raised her hand to knock, but stopped just short. The air around the door itself felt almost as cold as the air outside. _'What in the world? I can hear the heater running.'_

Asami put her hand on the handle and pushed. The door moved perhaps a centimeter before stopping as if blocked by something. Asami pushed on it again to no avail. She raised her hand and thumped it on the door. "Korra? Is everything alright in there?"

For a moment there was no response then the chill vanished and the door cracked open. Asami pushed it open and leaned her head forward to peek inside. A mass of water was streaming into the bathroom before ending up in the sinks, both of which had their stoppers lowered. Korra turned towards the door once the sinks were full. "Everything's fine, Asami. I was just testing something."

_'Did she freeze the door shut? Why would she do... it's because Mako is a firebender. Talk about paranoia...' _Asami averted her gaze from the sinks. "Okay, I was wondering if you'd like to join me and Bolin for breakfast."

Korra hesitated for a moment before shrugging. "I haven't eaten anything yet so I might as well. Lead the way." As they headed towards the bow Korra glanced upwards at the top decks of the vessel. "What kind of ship is this? I don't see any stacks for steam or coal and it doesn't look like any warship I've ever seen."

Asami pressed one of her knuckles against her lips to stifle a giggle. "Well, that's because it's not a warship. This is my personal yacht, it's a pleasure craft. As for your other question, it's powered by-" Asami almost bit her tongue as she snapped her jaws shut to stop the word lightning from coming out. "-batteries."

"Your craft? _You_ own this boat?" An incredulous Korra asked as she looked at the ship then at Asami. "It doesn't belong to Republic City or the United Republic?"

"Nope. All mine. Though I suppose it'll be ours once we're married..." Asami mused, more to herself than to Korra. _'Along with half of everything else I own.'_

When they got back to the dining room Bolin was sitting at the table, his plate already full. Asami pulled a chair opposite him out and waved at it as she looked at Korra. "Have a seat."

"Thank you." Korra said as she sat down and Asami pushed the chair back in before seating herself next to her. Korra sniffed as she leaned forward, looking at the food on the table. "What is this? That looks like meat, but the colors are all wrong."

"What do you mean? It's just some sausage." Bolin asked while peering at the same plate as her. "You've had meat before, haven't you? There was a bunch of it at your camp."

"Not like this. I've never seen meat with this texture or color before or…" Korra leaned forward even further as she spoke and she sniffed again. "... smelled like this." She picked up her fork and pierced one of the sausages with it. The fork paused in front of her mouth before she bit off one of the ends and her eyes grew until they were almost as wide as the plate in front of her. "How did you make this taste so good?" Korra exclaimed as soon as she had finished chewing.

"I just fried it in a pan. It's nothing special really. I didn't even use any spices." Asami glanced over her shoulder towards the kitchen before looking back at Korra. '_Those hunters were letting the meat freeze before packing it up. That would kill the bacteria and make it safe to eat though I wouldn't enjoy it.'_

"Do your people not cook the meat they eat at all? I get not having gas or coal in the south pole, but I saw tools with wooden handles while I was in your camp so I know you could use that to make fires."

Korra leaned away as she stared at Asami in horror. "Burn... wood? We would never do that. Wood's far too rare a resource to waste by _burning_ it."

Asami sputtered and she quickly set her cup down and pressed her mouth into the crook of her elbow as she coughed. _'Wood is rare? I know the Southern Water Tribe has had it rough during this war, but I don't think I ever realized how awful their situation was until now. I wonder how she feels about the fact her room is decorated with wood.'_

Korra took another bite of the sausage before setting it down. She pointed her fork at a yellow mound. "What is this?"

"Scrambled eggs." Asami answered as she got one of the sausages for herself. "Those are apples and that's ginseng tea if you want some."

Korra grabbed the serving spoon for the eggs and ladled some onto her plate before snatching up one of the apples. She frowned while rotating the red piece of fruit in her hands. "How do I eat this? Just bite into it or do I need to cut it up?"

"You just bite into it, but watch out for the seeds in the middle." Bolin said as he started to fill his plate with food.

Asami started cutting her sausage into pieces, but paused as she glanced at Korra out of the corner of her eye. Korra bit off a small piece of the fruit before swallowing it and taking a larger one. The corners of her lips twitched upwards, but she set the fruit down and took a bite of the eggs. A minute later and Korra was rushing to refill her now-empty plate. Once she had finished Korra scooted her chair back from the table and she pulled her fur parka off and set it on her lap. Asami's fork stopped halfway to her mouth. Korra was wearing a pale blue tunic without any sleeves though navy blue armbands covered up the majority of her forearms and biceps. _'Huh. I wasn't wrong about her arms and her breasts are bigger than I was expecting. Now I guess I need to see her legs to figure out how muscular she is overall.'_

After a few more minutes, and Korra finishing off her third plateful of food, Asami had cleared her plate. She took a sip of tea before resting her hands on the table and turning to look at the woman sitting beside her. "I think it's time we had a talk, Korra."

"About what?" A quizzical looking Korra asked.

Bolin started to push himself back from the table, but Asami shot him a glance and cleared her throat and he stopped in his tracks. "About the way you've behaved towards Bolin and Mako. I know you've been at war your whole life which is why I'm trying to be patient with you, but you can't keep acting like this. What you did to Bolin, what you tried to do to Mako, it's not an acceptable way of behaving and it has to stop. I understand why you acted the way you did because up until now it's just been your people and Fire Nation raiders. That's not the case anymore. Your world's gotten a whole lot bigger and you need to stop seeing everything in black and white."

Korra scowled and folded her arms across her chest. "As opposed to what? Shades of gray?"

"Precisely. Republic City's people have all sorts of backgrounds which makes it the most diverse place in the world. In fact I'll prove it right now." Asami reached into her pocket and pulled out the rock she had retrieved from the shore earlier. "Bolin, would you mind giving this to Korra?"

She tossed the rock up into the air up above their heads and it came close to hitting the ceiling before coming to an abrupt halt. It hovered there for a second before descending until it was floating in front of Korra. After a moment she grabbed it out of the air and looked at it then up at Bolin. "You're an earthbender?"

"He is. I'll tell you something else as well. Bolin and Mako are brothers."

Korra's head swiveled towards Asami. "Wait, what? They're _brothers_?" She pointed at Bolin with the hand holding the rock. "But he's an earthbender and Mako's a..."

"A firebender. Their father was born in Ba Sing Se, but he moved to Republic City where he met a woman named Naoki. She was descended from Fire Nation settlers who founded colonies in the Earth Kingdom and so am I. My family might be descended from the Fire Nation, but that doesn't doesn't define me as a person any more than Mako being a firebender or Bolin being an earthbender define them. Now I don't like having to pressure you, but it'll only take us a couple of days to get to Republic City and people there will be a lot less forgiving if you attack someone than I'm being right now. A good start would be apologizing to Bolin."

Korra's head slowly panned away from Asami towards the person sitting across the table from her. Bolin tilted his head to one side as he returned her gaze. Korra squeezed her mouth shut as she looked at the ceiling then the wall to her right, as if suddenly fascinated by the color. "I'm... sorry for mistaking you for a raider and attacking you and taking you prisoner for questioning."

Bolin glanced at Asami uneasily and she waved her arm to prompt him. "Well, you guys healed me up so there's no permanent damage done so I can let it slide. I do have a question though. Why did you tell me to keep quiet? I could have explained everything if you had given me the chance."

"I've fought raiders who had the ability to breath fire so I wanted you to keep your mouth shut so you couldn't attack me that way. Same reason I trapped your arms with ice."

"So that accounts for Bolin. Would you be willing to go upstairs and apologize to Mako, Korra?" Korra's face darkened and she shoved her chair away from the table before standing up and walking out of the room without a word. Asami sighed and shook her head. "I guess I was expecting too much of her."

"Give her some time, Asami. She's probably overwhelmed by all of this. Yesterday she was at war and today she's being whisked away to a far away city to marry a woman she doesn't know. I don't think any of us would be handling it well if we were in her shoes."

"I suppose you're right, Bolin. She knows we want her to apologize though so I guess we wait and see what happens."

Later that day, after the afternoon hours had come, Asami paused in front of Korra's room. She placed her hand against the doorframe and felt the same chill from earlier emanating from it. Asami sighed before heading towards her room for the night. The next morning saw no change as she trudged by. Outside there was a chill in the air, but it was a far cry from the subzero temperatures of the south. Asami unzipped the front of her jacket as she headed up the stairs to the topmost deck of the ship, the pilots cabin. Two men were present when she stepped inside. One of them was curled up in one of the bunks and the other, a man with tousled brown hair and all-around handyman, was seated behind the steering wheel and controls of the ship. "Good morning, Lee."

Lee turned to look over his shoulder at her. "Morning, Miss Sato. Feels good to get away from the cold doesn't it?"

"Sure does. Where are we right now?" Asami asked as she moved towards a large paper map and the chronometer mounted in a glass container next to it.

"There's no radio beacons out here, but I checked about half an hour ago so I'd guess we're near Kyoshi Island right now."

Asami leaned over the map and her finger traced a path over the glass case protecting it from the elements as she located the island in question. Halfway between the south pole and Republic City which meant they were only a day's travel from reaching home at the rate they were traveling. Asami stood up and looked out the window. Ahead of the ship was an endless plain of blue and she could see Mako standing near the bow as he gazed at the ocean as well. Asami turned towards Lee. "Make sure to radio Republic City once we get in range and let them know our mission was a success. Also if you need me to take the wheel don't hesitate to ask. I could use a-"

The last word never made it out as a shudder ran throughout the entire ship. Asami staggered to her right and fell onto her knees and outstretched hands. At the same time Lee was dislodged from his chair and the man asleep in the bunk had been thrown out to the floor. She rushed towards the controls and pulled the throttle back to bring the ship to a halt."What was that!? There shouldn't be any icebergs out here."

Asami got her answer after she pushed herself back up to her feet. Off the port bow, something was rising out of the ocean until it stood as tall as the highest point of her ship. Asami had only seen its ilk in crudely drawn sketches, but there was no mistaking the fact she was staring at one of the leviathans that lurked in the black depths beyond the reach of men. This one was a gray scaled serpent with a salmon hued crest on the back of its head along with bright green eyes and rows of finlets running along its back. A mouth large enough to easily swallow several men whole opened up as the creature let out a deafening shriek and Asami could see rows of white daggers glinting in the sunlight. The creature's head swiveled as it surveyed the ship and then it came to a halt and its pupils grew larger. A bolt of lightning cut through the air heading straight towards the beast, but at the last second it undulated out of the way. The creature opened its mouth again and this time a torrent of water shot out and down at something beyond her field of vision. "... Mako."

She rushed out the doorway and jumped down the stairs onto the deck below. Asami waved her arms in the air as she yelled as loudly as she could. "Hey, over here! Look at me!"

The serpent paused and its head turned at the sound of her voice. One eye fixed on her and Asami felt a shiver run down her spine as she sensed a cold and ancient primal intelligence considering her, judging whether she was prey worth the effort of hunting. After a moment it turned away, back towards its original target. Its jaws opened wide and it began to lunge downwards.

A figure in a blue tunic appeared off of the starboard side, held aloft by a sprout of water. Korra leaped forward onto the deck and thrust one arm forward. A sickle of water cut through the air and slammed into the serpents open jaws. The creature jerked backward and it shrieked in rage before unleashing another spray of water. Korra waved her arms from one side to the other and the water curved harmlessly to the side and coalesced into a ring of water around her. Narrow jets streaked outwards from the ring, each arcing through the air before landing square along either side and the bottom of the beast's jaw, knocking its head in both directions or up into the air. The serpent reeled backwards as Korra continued to batter it before it shrieked one final time and sank back beneath the surface. Its shadow remained for a few seconds before it slunk away, disappearing into the depths where it had come from.

Asami stared in disbelief and then she was hurrying down the steps towards the deck where she had last seen Mako. When she got there a sopping wet Mako was lying flat on his back in the middle of what had been a wooden chair mere minutes before. Korra was crouched over him, moving a hand surrounded by water along his chest and ribcage. As Asami approached Korra stood up. "Nothing's broken, but you'll be sore for a couple of days." She glanced at Asami before looking back down at Mako. "Does this make us even?"

"Huh?" Mako rubbed gingerly at his side as he looked at Korra. "What do you mean?"

"Does my saving your life today make up for trying to kill you yesterday?"

Mako frowned and he looked at Asami before returning his gaze to Korra. "Yeah... I guess it does. Thank you."

He held his hand out towards Korra and she looked at it for a moment, her lips flattening. After a long moment she grabbed Mako's hand and pulled. As soon as Mako was on his feet Korra immediately let go. She started to back up while keeping her eyes on Mako, but Asami held her hand up. "Wait, please. May I ask why you saved Mako? I thought you hated firebenders."

"That's what I thought until yesterday, but I've had time to think it through. I don't hate firebenders, I hate the soldiers who used firebending to try and kill me. As for why I saved Mako... getting eaten by that creature would be a bad way to go and Mako is your friend so it would hurt you if he died." Korra stated.

Asami blinked in surprise as she stared dumbly at Korra. The waterbender stood there a moment longer before retreating to stand by the tip of the bow, her ponytails fluttering in the wind. She turned and her head dipped down towards the ocean as she stared at the area where the serpent had vanished.

_'Well, I guess I've learned one thing about Korra today. She's unpredictable.'_


	5. Chapter 5

Clear water swirled around in a circle before disappearing down a hole at its center. After a few seconds more water emerged from the pipe until it had filled a third of the toilet bowl. Korra gazed at it for a few seconds, enraptured by the sight, before hitting the lever to make it flush again. Once the water had disappeared and been replaced once again she lowered the lid and turned towards the glass door on her right. She flicked a switch on the wall and a ventilation fan mounted in the ceiling began whirring as its blades spun.

Korra grabbed the top of her tunic and pulled it off along with her sleeves. A moment later and she had slipped out of her pants and underwear as well. Lastly she slid the tubes off of her ponytails, letting her hair down before she stepped into the shower. She twisted the levers mounted on the wall and water sprayed out of the faucet hanging above them. Korra stepped backwards and sat down on a teakwood bench mounted opposite of the faucet as the door began to fog up. She closed her eyes and let out a languorous sigh as droplets beaded on her skin while the remainder of the water washed over her body. After a couple of minutes Korra leaned forward so that the spray was hitting the top of her head. Once her hair had soaked through she raised her hands into the streams and splashed water onto her face before reluctantly turning the shower off. Korra waved a hand at herself and all the bits of water clinging to her body floated away and fell to the shower floor.

After she had gotten dressed Korra headed out of her room and forward through the ship towards the kitchen. When she got there Bolin and Mako were already present. Mako slightly waved his hand at her while Bolin did his best to muster up a grin. "Morning, Korra. Excited to see Republic City?"

Korra came to an abrupt halt as she looked at Bolin in surprise."What? We're getting to Republic City today?"

"We are, yes."

Korra turned to see Asami standing in the kitchen doorway, a steaming mug in her hands. "So soon? The way you were talking made it seem like Republic City was a long way from the South Pole, but we're getting there in two days?"

Asami shrugged as she took a drink and leaned against the door. "You're not wrong. Itis a long way and the trip would take longer on any other vessel, but this ship is... unique. The engine is a new design of mine and this trip was its test run. Long story short this ship is faster than every other boat out there plus we've been going night and day since we left, aside from the attack yesterday."

"Your design? Are you a scientist?" Korra's head tilted to the side as she gazed at Asami as if she was some kind of rare creature.

Asami chuckled and shook her head a little. "Not quite. I'm an engineer. I prefer practical application to theory. Anyways, we only have a couple of hours until we're back so I'd suggest you pack your things and get ready. Lee's already radioed ahead to let them know we're coming so there'll be a reporter waiting."

Bolin and Mako both let out a groan, but it was Bolin who spoke up. "Does that mean I have to break out the suit and tie?" As he groused Bolin grimaced and scratched at the back of his neck. "I hate that thing, the collar is so itchy."

"No... I don't think that will be necessary." Asami drummed her fingers against her mug as she first eyed Korra's clothing, the only set she had brought, then Mako and Bolin. "We're getting back from a grand adventure so it'll play better if we go for a hero shot. The canvas gear should work. Jacket, gloves and pants, but no caps. Drop by my room once you finish eating, Korra."

Half an hour later Korra rapped her knuckles against the door to Asami's room and the other woman's voice came through right away. "I'm decent, come in."

Korra pushed the door open and took a step inside before pausing as she looked around. The room was at least twice the size hers had been. A thick white carpet lay on the floor and the walls were covered in lustrous dark red wood. A white couch with black throw pillows was tucked into one corner. Next to the couch was a canopy bed with a set of drawers beneath an oversized mattress and the frame's thick beams were made of the same red wood as the walls. The mattress itself was dressed in black sheets and had several white pillows neatly stacked by the headboard. Korra frowned at the heavy looking beams before moving towards the rooms other occupant. Asami was seated in front of a dresser on the other side of the room. She held a small brush in her hand and was looking at her reflection in the mirror as she dabbed her cheek.

"Why are you putting on warpaint?"

Asami's hand froze in position and her eyes made contact with Korra's in the mirror. After a few seconds she started to giggle. "Warpaint? No, Korra. It's makeup. I'm not trying to scare people, I'm trying to make myself look pretty."

Korra's brows raised upwards and she turned her head to look at Asami herself instead of the woman's reflection. "Why? You already are."

"Maybe so, but I'm something of a public figure in Republic City so I always have to look my best when I'm out and about town." Asami shrugged then started brushing the bristles against her face again. "Speaking of which I wanted to check in and make sure that you're prepared make sure that you're prepared for the spotlight."

"The spotlight? I don't know what that means."

"It means you're going to become a public figure like me. People will recognize you wherever you go, the things you say and do-

Korra's face darkened and she scowled at Asami. "Oh I get it. You think I'm going to make you look bad somehow because I'm your fiancee. Sorry I'm not as fancy as you are with your big boat or your fancy food or all this makeup that you're putting on."

She turned to walk out the door, but Asami stood up and grabbed Korra by the wrist, spinning her back around. "Korra, stop! That's not what I meant. I'm not worried that you're going to embarrass me, I'm worried that you're going to get yourself in legal trouble. Bolin and Mako have agreed to forget about what you did to them, but people in Republic City won't be so forgiving. Especially the police. Lin Beifong won't care that you're engaged to me or that you have a seat on the council. If you get into a fight then she'll have you arrested and she will press charges."

"Okay, okay. I get it. I'll keep my head down." Korra grudgingly promised. "Anything else you wanted to talk about?"

Asami let go of Korra's wrist and sat back down in front of the mirror before picking up the brush once again. "As a matter of fact there is one more thing, yes. Well, it's the same subject, but from a different angle. I think you'd agree that our relationship has gotten off to a rocky start. It's not surprising when you think about it. You and I are almost complete strangers who come from two very different worlds so it's only natural that there'd be a few bumps along the way. That said, I know we have one thing in common. We both agreed to this marriage because we knew our people would benefit from it. However, if we want this alliance to last then we have to make sure our marriage does. An important part of that is managing how other people view our relationship."

"So you're saying that we need to make it seem like the two of us get along whenever we're out in public."

"Precisely. People believing our relationship is genuine will help keep the buzzards away." Asami said as she dipped her brush back into the jar of powder located in front of her. "Will that be a problem for you, Korra?"

"No, I can handle that." Korra stated as she moved towards the door. She lingered at the exit and threw a backwards glance at Asami. "Can you let me know when we're getting close to Republic City?"

"Of course."

A knock came from Korra's door an hour and a half later. Korra hopped off the bed onto her feet and went for the door. Asami was standing in the hallway, dressed shoulders to ankles in a canvas jacket and pair of pants. "Ready to see Republic City, Korra?"

"Let's go." Korra said as she started to slide past Asami, not bothering to wait for her to move out of the way.

Asami raised her hand and put it on the doorframe, blocking Korra from getting out. "Not yet. Close your eyes and I'll guide you upstairs."

"Close my eyes? Why?" Korra asked, the unusual request putting her on the defensive.

"You only get one chance to see Republic City for the first time. If you let me then I can make sure you're in the right position to get the best view when the time comes."

Korra stood there a moment before shrugging and closing her eyes. "Why not? Lead the way, Asami."

As Asami led her down the hall and out the door Korra focused on her other senses. The air felt crisp against her arms and the wind ruffled her hair as it blew past. They walked for a bit then Asami's fingers tightened on her wrist. "Stairs to your left." After she got to the top Asami turned her to the right and walked her forwards again. A few minutes passed before Asami tapped Korra's shoulder. "Okay... open your eyes."

Korra's eyes shot open and grew wider as she took a step forward and rested her hands on the railing. A pair of mountains with peaks capped in snow and sides covered in green loomed ahead. In front of them stood a gleaming city that stretched from the base of one mountain all the way to the base of the other. At the edges the buildings could scarcely be made out above the horizon, but in the center towers of metal and glass glinting in the sunlight rose higher and higher as if they dreamed of overtaking the mountains.

"It's... incredible. I've never seen anything like it. This is where you live, Asami?" Korra exclaimed as she looked at the woman standing beside her.

"No. It's where _we _live, Korra." Asami gently corrected her, hoping to avoid spoiling the moment.

Korra looked away back towards the city as the yacht slowed to a near crawl. Ahead lay a flotilla of other watercraft all throughout the harbor. Boats with fishing lines cast over the side and yachts with white wings driven along by the wind. A deafening discordant blast filled the air and Korra almost jumped out of her skin as she spun around. A crimson vessel large enough to carry Asami's yacht with ample room to spare was there. Long metal containers covered its flat deck and numerous smaller boats flanked it on both sides, lines lashing them to the mammoth craft as they dragged it through the harbor towards the ocean.

"What is that thing for?" Korra asked as she watch the colossal vessel's laborious progress.

"It's a cargo ship for carrying goods though I don't know what it's hauling or where it's going." Asami said after twisting to see what Korra was looking at. She twisted back to look towards the shoreline and raised her hand to point. "Our dock is over there."

Several wooden docks with thick foam bumpers lining their edges jutted out into the harbor. Most of them had boats of various sizes moored besides them, but the longest of them was empty at present. The yacht slowed even more and it eased its way up alongside the dock in question. Bolin gathered up a line near the front of the ship and he threw it over the edge to a woman waiting down below. At the same time a pair of men wheeled up a set of wooden stairs towards the side of the ship. Asami started walking in that direction and she waved her hand at Korra, beckoning her to follow. When Asami got to the stairs she flipped a latch and pulled a section of the railing inwards. "After you, Korra."

A skinny man wearing a black hat with a short brim and a gray sleeveless vest over a white shirt was waiting for them at the end of the dock. A black and silver rectangular object with a round glass attachment hung from a strap looped around his neck. As Korra approached he stepped in front of them. "Morning gents, Miss Sato... and just who is this lovely lady here? Name's Chazok, reporter for the Republic City Times."

His words came so fast Korra could barely make out what he was saying. "I'm Korra." She said while taking his proffered hand and he shook it once before letting go.

"Great to meet you, Korra. Welcome to Republic City." His gaze shifted towards Asami. "So what'll it be? Any chance of an interview?"

"Just a photo for now."

"You're killing me, Miss Sato. Biggest story of the month and all I get is a photo?"

"You'll get an interview later, Chazok, but not until Korra's had some time to get settled in." Asami pointed to a spot on her right. "Mako over here, Bolin you're on the other side. Gerra, Lee, you can pick a side." As the brothers and her crew members moved into position she took Korra's hand with her left hand. "Alright, smile for the camera."

Korra looked to her left then her right before looking at the reporter as Chazok grabbed the object resting on his chest and raised it in front of his face. "What are we doing? What's a camera?" The glass circle atop Chazok's camera flashed as a burst of light filled the air. Korra grimaced and she pulled her hand away from Asami as she rubbed at her eyes. "What was that!?

"Did you get the shot, Chazok?" Asami asked after a quick glance at Korra. The reporter shook his head. "Okay, let's try that again. Look at the camera in his hands, but try not to look directly at the bulb and it won't be so bad."

Korra gave Asami a dubious look before taking her hand and holding it. She focused on her gaze on Chazok's camera and she didn't stir during subsequent flashes. She let go of Asami's hand before leaning in towards her. "Are you going to explain what's happening?" Korra asked irritably.

Asami gave Korra a small smile. "I could, but that would ruin the surprise. How about I show you our home?"

"All right, there were some good shots in there. I appreciate the heads up, Miss Sato. Best of luck to you and Korra." As he headed down the pier Chazok rubbed his hands together as he whistled to himself.

Korra watched the reporter for several seconds before looking at Asami. "Sure. Let's go... home."

"Hang on a second." Asami turned towards Lee and Gerra. "Do you need any help with the ship before we go, Lee?"

Lee shook his head. "No, ma'am. Couple of problems popped up, but nothing we can't fix ourselves. If you'll excuse us."

As Gerra and Lee headed back towards the Lee Asami turned her attention to the brothers. "Some of my staff will be coming by to pick up my things and clean the ship. Do you want them to get your stuff for you as well?"

"No, we got it." Mako stated. "I'd rather not have a stranger going through my underwear even if they work for you, Asami. We'll catch you later."

"I guess it's just the two of us, Korra. Come on."

Asami started moving down the dock at a brisk pace without waiting for a response. By the time Korra caught up Asami was walking across a smooth stone surface towards a rectangular black metal machine held up by rubber wheels. A glass window ran across the top and behind the window was a pair of red leather seats. As Korra watched Asami walked around the machine, opened a door and sat down behind a wheel in front of one of the seats. She grabbed the handle on her side and pulled on it before sitting down herself. "What is this thing? Some kind of traveling machine?"

"It's a car, Korra. Put on your seatbelt, please."

Korra looked around before finding a slender strip of dark gray material on her right. "How do I put this on?"

"There's a buckle on your left. Plug it into that." Asami waited until Korra had fastened her belt before she sprang into action. She twisted her wrist near the wheel, grabbed a stick to her right and pulled on it before pushing with her foot. Without warning and barely any sound the car rolled forward. Korra grabbed onto the door with one hand and her other fell onto Asami's thigh. Asami quirked an eyebrow as she cleared her throat. "Do you mind? I'm driving."

Korra yanked her hand away, as if scalded, when she realized where it had ended up. "Sorry." She mumbled.

The car joined more of its kind on the road as their trip got underway. She had described their destination as home earlier, but Korra's home lay far to the south. The place they were going to was Asami's, but Korra needed a place to stay while she was in Republic City. Asami was her fiancee though so technically everything that belonged to Asami would belong to Korra once they married well. With that in mind, maybe calling it her home away from home was the best way to label it. No matter what she called it, their destination was as much of a mystery to her as the rest of this city.


	6. Chapter 6

After a minute of traveling Asami brought the car to a halt at an intersection of two roads. Korra turned her head as she looked at the building to her right. From her vantage point in the harbor, it had been apparent that some of the buildings in Republic City rose high into the air. Now that she was looking up at them from their base, it became apparent that her perspective had been flawed and she was only now seeing their true scale. This building stretched so far up that it would cast a shadow over the mightiest cliffs in the south. She looked to her left only to see a building that was even taller than the first one. Her head tilted further and further back, but the apex of this tower remained hidden from her gaze.

"Are you cold at all, Korra? I can turn the heat on if you want."

Korra glanced to her left before shaking her head. "No. Honestly this air is a lot warmer than I'm used to."

"Oh. Well I'm getting a bit chilly." Asami turned a dial and hot air poured out of vents in front of them. "I should have put the top up before getting on the road, but I wasn't thinking."

One of the lights hanging from a pole in front of them went black and a green light below it appeared. A few seconds later and their car was rolling through the intersection. On the other side were more towers looming far overhead to her left and right. Towers behind her and towers in front of her, all filling up her field of vision, innumerable metric tons of concrete and glass pressing in on her. Korra closed her eyes, not wanting to look at the city around her anymore. "Let me know when we get there."

There were plenty of more intersections in the city if the frequency of the car coming to a brief halt before accelerating again were any indication. At first she could hear the voices of people when they stopped, but before long there was only the sound of cars and in time even those faded. Korra cracked one eye open a sliver then they both opened all the way as she straightened up in her seat while looking to her right. "Stop the car."

Asami kept the car going straight ahead for a minute longer before she pulled over onto a patch of gravel next to the side of the road. "What is it, Korra?" She asked while looking at her passenger, unsure what was going on.

Korra fumbled with her buckle for a few seconds before finding the button to release her belt. Once free she didn't bother to open the door, instead hopping out of the car. She stepped forward and raised her hand into the air. After a moment she moved her hand forward until her palm came into contact with the rough bark of a tree while she looked up at branches bare save for the occasional leaf that remained attached in defiancé of winter.

"Is everything alright, Korra?" A perplexed looking Asami asked from a short distance away.

"There aren't any trees in the south. Too much wind and not enough dirt I guess. Sometimes trees washed up on our shore. It wasn't very common though and we always considered ourselves fortunate when we came across one." Her head swiveled as she gazed at her surroundings. In every direction stood trees with broad trunks and gnarled roots protruding from the grassy floor of the forest. "I always thought trees must be rare, but it can't be..." Korra's hand fell from the tree and her shoulders slumped. "...not if a place like this exists. We weren't fortunate. We were that desperate."

Asami moved forward and rested her hand on Korra's shoulder. "I'm so sorry. I can't imagine how difficult life must have been for you and your people, but I can help if you want. I know all the richest people in town so I could host a gala to raise money for a relief effort. Food, medicine, blankets, those sorts of things."

Korra spun around towards Asami, a look of disbelief on her face, as she knocked Asami's arm aside. "Even if you did that, why would a bunch of outsiders want to help us? They haven't bothered in the past so why would that change because you threw a party?" Korra demanded.

"Look, Korra. I get it." Asami began, looking like she was ready to rip chunks of her hair out. "You've spent your whole life dealing with soldiers who were trying to kill you. The thing is that there's good people in the world and they'll be willing to help if you ask. But if you keep being this belligerent then people aren't going to be sympathetic or less willing to lend a hand and _that_ will hurt your people. "

Color rushed to Korra's face and she flinched. During her years protecting her people she had received her fair share of wounds in battle. All of those had been physical in nature and easy enough to remedy. Asami's barb dug deeper, hitting a spot none of the firebenders had ever been able to reach. Her hands reflexively balled into fists before she forced herself to relax and straighten her fingers. "You're right... I'm sorry. Tact's never been my strong suit. If the war is really over then it I guess it's time I learn."

"Well, being willing to admit that is a good start. Come on, we're only a couple of minutes away."

Asami spun her wheel to the left and their vehicle pulled off the weathered road onto a driveway of unmarred stone. After going straight ahead for half a kilometer Asami turned left again onto a road running along the edge of the estate. Korra leaned forward and she gazed to her right over the gardens that lay between them and the estate's interior regions. A pair of massive stone towers white as untarnished snow and their much smaller brother loomed over the first two terraces of the estate. Large stairways, some straight while others curved, ran between them. Rising up from the topmost terrace was a structure as massive as many of the buildings she had seen in the city, although not as tall. The front section of the house was long and straight and at the rear stood an enormous rotunda capped with a dome. The walls were made of the same stone as the towers and all the roofs in sight were stained with a dark and metallic brown coat of paint.

"This is your home!? How big is your family?" Korra exclaimed in disbelief. Only a few days ago her home had been a tiny igloo and now she was surrounded by a sprawling estate.

"How big?" Asami echoed, confused by the question. "There's only two of us, me and my dad, but it'll be three once you and I are married."

Korra looked away from the estate at her fiancé, her brow growing more furrowed by the second. "Only two of you? All by yourselves? Then why is this place so enormous? A hundred people could live there, easy."

"Well, we don't just live here. We work here as well. My dad and I each have our own office and there's a couple of garages where we can tinker with prototype engines and the like. We're also not the only people living here. There's also the household staff."

"Staff?"

"Yep. A place this big needs all kinds of people to take care of it. Speaking of which." Asami brought the vehicle to a halt in front of a set of doors near the rear of the house. She undid her seatbelt before rising up and waving her arm in the air. "Mazim!"

A balding, middle-aged man holding garden shears in one of his gloved hands was leaning over a bush as he examined the roses on it with a critical eye. After Asami called out his name he looked up and waved back at her. "Good morning, Miss Sato. It's great to see you again!"

"Is my father here or is he in town?"

"I saw his car leave earlier though I don't know if it was Future Industries or Council business."

"I see." Asami drummed her fingers against her steering wheel for a moment. "Well, we'll cross that bridge later. Please go and tell the other staff I've returned, Mazim. I'd like to speak to everyone so have them meet me outside my office in ten minutes."

"Yes, Miss Sato." Mazim bowed towards her before hurrying deeper into the gardens away from them.

"Fancy taking a quick tour of your new home, Korra? We can't see everything right now, but I think you'll like this part of the mansion." Asami opened one of the doors and held it for Korra. The waterbender paused after stepping inside as she examined her surroundings. The carpet beneath her boots was a deep crimson and the arched wooden ceiling above her head was a rich brown. Sconces hiding lamps behind them were lined the tan walls in-between plants resting on end tables and elaborate paintings of people and landscape alike. Asami let the door swing shut behind them and she took a left turn at the first intersection then another a moment later. Down the following hallway were three sets of doors, one at the end of the hall and the other two opposite each other. Asami pulled on the handle of the door to the right and she waved Korra inside.

Korra took a few steps forward then paused as she looked around the room. Wooden rings attached to the ends of ropes hung from the ceiling. Leather bags shaped like a teardrop were mounted to horizontal boards via a short chain. Next to the tear drop bags were spheres with taut ropes fixed to top and bottom along with a hefty looking cylinder held up by thick chains that would let it swing free when hit. Opposite the bags was some kind of machine with a padded seat above a pair of spinning wheels connected together by a metal chain. Last there were brown leather balls of increasing size lined along a wall.

"So this gym is where we work out. I don't know what exercises you did in the south, but you should be able to do them here. If not then I can order whatever you might need."

Asami went to the opposite door and opened it. Straw mats the color of sand covered the floor as well as lining the walls. In one corner were several thick red and black rectangles with handles on the back. Next to the rectangles was a collection of protective gear for various parts of the body. "This is the sparring room. If you train any form of grappling or striking then you can do it here. This room over here is my personal favorite."

Asami pushed the final door open and muggy air, hotter than any Korra had ever felt before, rushed outwards. Several chairs were scattered throughout the room. Some had straight backs and were meant to be sat in, but a few others were for people to lay on. Cerulean water was shooting upwards from the mouth of a lion turtle statue then falling into an oval shaped pool with straight sides. "It might be a silly question since you're a waterbender, but can you swim?"

"I can, but I always tried to avoid it whenever possible. The water in the south pole is usually cold enough that it'll kill you if you stay in too long."

"Oh." Asami said after a momentary silence. "Well we keep the pool at a warm twenty-seven degrees. If you feel like swimming then you can use the pool anytime you'd like... though I suppose we'll have to get you a bathing suit." Asami mused, almost as an afterthought. "That's a task for another day. Come on, it's a bit of a long walk to my office from here."

When they arrived at Asami's office there were around two dozen people milling around in front of it. Some of the men wore dark suits while several women were dressed in white and black skirts. A few, Mazim among them, were wearing coveralls that were smudged with dirt more often than not. The remainder were wearing white aprons over a myriad of differently colored outfits. Asami clapped her hands together once and the small crowd all straightened up as they turned to face her. "Hello everyone. As you all know I've been away for the last month trying to make contact with the Southern Water Tribe. Well I'm pleased to let you know that the trip was a success and I'd like to introduce you to my fiancé, Korra."

The eyes of every person in the hall focused on her and Korra nervously rubbed the back of her neck as their gaze burrowed into her. "Hello, everybody. Nice to meet all of you."

Asami cleared her throat, drawing her staff's attention back to her much to Korra's relief. "Korra and I will be staying in separate rooms so I'm reassigning you, Kika. You'll take care of her quarters as well as attend to any requests she might make of you."

A thickset woman with wispy brown hair bound up in a bun curtsied. "Yes, Miss Sato."

"Let me introduce you to everyone, Korra then we can finish our tour. You saw Mazim outside and you met Kika just now."

Korra swallowed as Asami gestured at each person as she rattled off their name and what their job was. Learning that the yacht belonged to Asami had been her first clue. Seeing the sheer size of Asami's home had been another. The third and most striking was the people standing in front of her. Cooks and maids, gardeners and handymen. Asami was wealthy to a degree Korra had never encountered. Wealthy to the extent that she and her father could afford to pass off the menial tasks of life onto other people so that they didn't have to bother with any of them.

And while she was here, neither did Korra.


	7. Chapter 7

Asami yawned as she stretched her arms up towards the ceiling, pulling the muscles in her back tight. After a moment she let her arms fall as she glanced down at her bed. The mattress she was presently sitting on was the same exact same kind as the one in her quarters on her yacht and the sheets and blankets were made out of the same silk and down feathers. Despite their identical natures it was the bedding in this room, not the ones on the yacht, that felt like home to Asami. After a month of traveling it felt good to wake up in her own bed once again.

She swung her legs over the side of the bed and slid her feet into a pair of slippers before trudging towards her bedroom door, more the thing next to it. Near waist height was a square wooden box containing rows of buttons, each labeled with one of the rooms in the house. She pressed her finger against the one above the word 'kitchen'. There was a short buzzing sound, one she knew was also being heard by the occupants of said room. A signal to let them know she was expecting breakfast. Asami turned away as she headed into her bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, when she came out, hair and body clad in white towel and bathrobe respectively, she had company.

One of them she had been expecting, a man named Paran, cart bearing her breakfast and all. The other brought her to a halt. "Kika? What are you doing here?" Asami asked, surprised at the presence of the maidservant she had assigned to tend to Korra's quarters the previous day.

"Begging your pardon, Miss Sato." Kika began as she wrung her hands. "I didn't wish to bother you, but I'm having a bit of a concern in performing my duties. I'm not sure how to address it and I thought it would be best to ask for your advice since you've known the new missus longer than I."

'Oh joy. What have you done now, Korra?' Asami resisted the urge to rub at her temples as she sensed a headache on its way despite the fact she hadn't even been awake a half hour yet. "What's happened?"

"Well, I thought I'd surprise the new missus with today's edition of the RC Times and breakfast, but the door wouldn't budge and it felt unnaturally cold for some reason."

'Again?' Asami looked down at the robe she was wearing as she weighed her options, but really there was only one realistic path available to her at the moment. "Paran, take my breakfast over to Korra's room. You go with him, Kika. I'll be there once I've changed."

Asami grabbed a white shirt and blue jeans along with a change of underwear from her closet. Nothing fancy, but she wasn't leaving the estate today so dressing up wasn't a requirement. Kika, Paran and their respective carts were waiting in the hall when she got there. Asami stopped next to the cart that Kika had brought and picked the newspaper up off it. A small grin ran across her face as she looked at the front page. "Ah. I see why you brought this, Kika. That was a good idea." She set the paper back down on the cart before placing her hand against the door to Korra's room. A familiar chill was emanating from it and Asami shook her head while suppressing the urge to roll her eyes. She drew her fist back and thumped it against the door several times. "Korra, would you please open the door?" Asami asked, hoping that she had managed to keep the irritation she was feeling from showing up in her voice.

As she waited Asami folded her arms across her chest and tried to ignore the glances Paran and Kika were exchanging when they thought she wasn't looking. Her serving staff were meticulous and dedicated to their craft, but their love of gossip ran just as strong. As soon as they were out of her presence they would be scurrying off with wagging tongues and rumors would be flying before long. The door opened a crack and Korra peered out before opening the door all the way. "Is something wrong, Asami?"

"No, nothing's wrong. I just thought you might like to have breakfast with me this morning."

Korra shrugged and pushed the door open wider before disappearing back into her room. Asami waved one hand towards the door and Paran and Kika wheeled their carts in behind her as she entered. She paused for a moment as she glanced over at Korra's bed. The blankets had all been pulled off and were lying in a pile on the floor next to the bed. She frowned then shook her head in dismissal. 'Question for later.'

Paran and Kika pushed their carts up to a square table covered in a white tablecloth and began unloading their contents onto it. Slices of toast with spreads of butter and honey available, two bowls of rice with accompanying soy sauce, potatoes that had been diced and roasted in garlic along with a container of steaming tea. Once they had finished the two took their carts and left. Asami picked up her fork, but paused before taking a bite. "I have a question if you don't mind, Korra. Why did you freeze the door shut? I get what you were worried about on the yacht, but that's not a concern here."

"I know. I had to use the bathroom and wash myself so I needed a way to make sure Kika didn't walk in on me." Korra said as she eyed the food before selecting a bowl of rice and the spoon next to it.

"I see. Well, then you could have just locked the door with the key instead of freezing it shut." Asami pointed out.

Korra leaned to one side as she looked past Asami at the door. "Where is this key you're talking about?"

"It should be hanging from a hook next to the callbox." Asami said before taking a bite of the potatoes. Korra's eyes moved up and down and from side to side as she scanned the area in question before returning to sitting upright. 'Suppose I shouldn't be surprised she's not familiar with that kind of device. What good would a deadbolt or padlock be for a tribe of waterbenders who live in igloos? Let's change the subject.'

Asami stood up and grabbed the newspaper off the cart. She turned and held it so that the headline and the photo beneath it were facing Korra. The waterbender frowned as she looked at it. "What the... that's from yesterday, when we on the dock with Chazok. Is that a painting? How could he paint something so detailed in less than a day? That's not possible even for the best painter in the world."

"It's a photo, not a painting. Basically the camera captures light reflecting off something or someone and uses a chemical reaction to record it on a material called film. After that the film gets developed into a photograph. Chazok took a photo of us yesterday and this is the result." Asami set the paper down on Korra's side of the table before retaking her seat. "There's also an article if you want to read it."

Korra snatched the paper up and she began to read out loud. "Sato Expedition a Triumph. When the expedition was first announced reactions were mixed. Asami Sato had been showered with praise for selflessly volunteering to secure an alliance for the United Republic through marriage. However, her decision to travel to the South Pole raised a fair number of eyebrows and was derided as a fool's errand by some. There's been no contact with the Southern Water Tribe in decades. The only clue that there was still life in the South Pole was the blockade line of warships surrounding the South Pole day and night. A few intrepid fishermen had ventured far enough south and found those ships were gone in recent weeks. Even so, there was no guarantee that Asami Sato and company would be able to make contact with the Southern Water Tribe or what kind of response they would receive if they did. Furthermore their journey took them far beyond the range of the southernmost radio towers so they were unable to call for help should anything go wrong in the harsh and inhospitable polar regions. Despite all of the obstacles and perils facing her Asami Sato returned in triumph to Republic City yesterday morning, her new fiancée, Korra, at her side. Yours truly hasn't had the pleasure of an interview yet, but was able to make a few observations nonetheless. At first glance she appears... as unladylike as one could imagine with overly bulky muscles, crude clothing, and a lack of care for her appearance that any lady of refinement would find appalling."

Her voice came to an abrupt halt and the paper quivered in her hands for a moment before Korra resumed reading. "Even so, there was a fluid confidence in both her stride and the way she carried herself that is rare among women of Republic City and her figure is ample enough to draw an admirer's eye. While yours truly didn't get a chance to speak with Korra, she did utter one phrase that is most illuminating. 'What's a camera?' It's plain to this reporter, based on such a statement, that Korra seems ignorant of the modern marvels that science has brought to the United Republic. No need to worry though, folks. There's no one better equipped to make a civilized woman out of this barbarian queen than Asami Sato. With that being said, this reporter can't help but wonder what kind of woman Korra is and how she'll fare as the newest member of the Council. Watch this space for more."

The waterbender's fingers curled into a pair of fists and a tear ripped through the paper as they pulled in opposite directions. She flung the paper aside and her eyes narrowed as she fumed. "Why that lousy, no-good snake! I. Am. Not. A. Barbarian." Korra growled through gritted teeth.

'And she's angry again. Guess I should have read that article before giving it to her. Well, time to change the subject. Again.'

"You know, he is right about one thing. Nobody in Republic City knows anything about you. That includes me as well. You're a hunter and a protector, but that's the extent of my knowledge. Do you have any hobbies or other things you do for fun?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"I'm trying to make things between us less awkward. Our marriage might not be romantic in nature, but if we find some common ground then maybe we can learn to work together at the very least." Asami set her fork down on the plate and she grabbed the other bowl of rice and spoon.

"I guess that makes sense." Korra pursed her lips as she considered Asami's question. "I'm not really sure. When I'm not on duty or working then I'm usually practicing my waterbending or kickboxing, helping train others or whatever tasks need doing around the village. When I did have some spare time I would play chess sometimes."

"Chess?" Asami's eyes lit up and she pushed her chair back from the table and stood up. "Just a second." She walked over to the door, opening it and sticking her head outside. "Kika, would you please go and fetch us a chess set?"

Korra glanced at the door with a bewildered expression as Asami sat back down. "Was she just standing out there while we eat?"

"Well... yes." Asami said as if it were perfectly normal. "She and Paran are there in the event you or I decide we're still hungry or if there's a particular kind of food we're in the mood for. If that happens they'd notify the cooks, but otherwise they're waiting to take our dishes back to the kitchen."

"And she's going to do this every time I eat?" Korra asked.

"Yes."

Korra opened her mouth for a second before hesitating then closing it. After several seconds she took a drink of her tea and started to eat in silence. A couple of minutes later and Kika returned after they had finished eating. She was carrying a marble board inlaid with alternating squares of white marble and black onyx in one hand. In the other was a wooden box filled with pieces that had been carved by hand. The maid set them down on the table and picked up some of the dishes that had been set aside. "Will either of you be wanting anything else?"

Asami shot a glance at Korra, who wordlessly shook her head and Asami looked back at Kika. "That'll be all, Kika." The maid curtsied despite the dishes in her hand and loaded them onto her cart before coming back for the rest which she placed on the second. As she wheeled the first towards the door Asami grabbed two pieces, one of each color, and stuck her hands behind her back.

Asami swapped the pieces between her hands several times then held two closed fists out across the table. "Pick one." Korra tapped the hand on her left and Asami's hand unfolded to reveal white. "You go first."

Korra dragged the box closer towards her and she began lifting the pieces out and placing them onto the board. By the time she was finished two differently colored rows of pieces were lined up on each side. Asami gave Kika a small smile as she came back for the cart still in the room. "Thank you, Kika. Convey my compliments to the cooks. The potatoes were especially good."

Korra put on fingers on a piece in her front row and pushed it forward two spaces. 'e4. Most common opening so that doesn't tell me much about her style or strategies. Let's try... c5 and see how she reacts.' Asami pushed the pawn on that file forward. Almost immediately Korra grabbed a piece with the head of a horse and set it on a square diagonal to her first. 'nf3. Now that's interesting. If I was playing someone from Republic City I might think they'd read a book on chess openings. That can't be the case for Korra though. She's already told me how rare wood was in the south which means they wouldn't waste it on a book of that nature. This must just be a coincidence.'

Asami pushed another of her pawns forward after a moment's consideration. The waterbender was quick to respond once again as she moved her other center pawn forward. Each of the next several turns followed the same pattern of Asami taking some time to consider her next move and Korra moving almost immediately. Asami frowned at the board. "You're moving awfully fast. Maybe you should slow down a little, Korra."

Her statement elicited a dismissive shrug from the waterbender. "It's the beginning of the game. No point in thinking that hard about my moves until more pieces are in play."

A frown creased Asami's face when she looked back down at the board a few moves later. Korra had seized full control of the center and was pushing hard up the left side at the same time. Her eyes darted from one of Korra's pieces to the next, but every single one of them was protected. There were trades available to her, but each of them would leave her at a positional disadvantage. She moved a pawn forward to challenge Korra's structure in the center. "Who taught you to play? You're pretty good at this."

"My dad taught me. It was part of my training when I was learning to waterbend." Korra said as she moved one of her knights so that it was threatening Asami's queen.

"Playing chess was part of your waterbending training? How would chess help with waterbending?" Asami's brow furrowed as she looked at Korra quizzically.

"It was the concepts involved in chess that my dad wanted me to learn. Being able to analyze the situation, how to think ahead, trying to predict your opponent, positioning yourself. That sort of thing. It's your move by the way."

Asami bit her lip as she looked at the board. Her queen was at risk and Korra's was tucked away beyond her reach so there was no way to trade queen for queen. She started looking at the surrounding squares, looking for the best place to move her queen, when the trap she had blundered into became apparent. Asami had boxed herself in and Korra had slammed the door shut with her last move. There wasn't anywhere for her queen to go. Asami scanned the rest of the board as she looked for some sort of weakness or opening that she could exploit. After a minute she shook her head. "You got me. That was a nice play."

A crooked grin spread across Korra's face. "Thanks, but I only got you because you underestimated me. I don't think you'll be making that mistake again."

'No… no I won't. Chazok's wrong about you, Korra. You're not a barbarian. That's good to know, but it brings up another question. What are you?


	8. Chapter 8

"Where are we going?"

Asami paused after looking back over her shoulder and seeing Korra had come to a halt in the middle of the hallway. "Well, you've already seen most of the interesting rooms inside the mansion itself so I figured I'd show you the garage and workshop."

The places in question were on the far side of the estate from where Korra and Asami had arrived the previous day. Two squat concrete buildings stood side by side on the other side of the road surrounding the mansion. Both were the same height, but the one on the right was more than twice as wide as its neighbor. It had multiple steel doors that opened by rolling upwards while the smaller building only had one. Asami approached a door sized for people and pulled a ring of keys out of her pocket and unlocked it.

Inside two lines of vehicles sitting atop a gleaming floor faced each other from opposing sides of the building. The first vehicle on the left was immediately familiar to Korra. The one Asami had driven them back to the mansion in. Next was a car similar in color, but boxy in shape instead of the sleek curves that Asami's car possessed. Korra looked back and forth between the two cars before glancing over at the other row. "How do you decide which car you're going to use if you have this many?"

"I don't. To be honest I only just use this car here to get around." Asami waved at the vehicle in question. "Sometimes I ride around on my scooter for fun, but not very often. All the rest of these cars are just part of my father's collection." She pointed at the boxy car. "Like this one here. This was the first Satomobile my father built. Selling this model is how he made his first million yuans."

Korra suppressed the urge to frown as she gave the cars in view another appraising look. There were at least twenty here and many of them had been painted vibrant colors. She hadn't ever seen a car until the previous day, but even someone as ignorant as her about those machines could recognize most of these were of a higher quality than the Satomobile. The contents of this garage weren't about practical use, they were about showing off in order to bolster the ego of Asami's father and possibly Asami's as well. Korra moved around the front of the Satomobile to get a better view of the vehicle on the other side and paused when she did so. The cars she had seen so far were all shaped somewhat differently, but they still had elements in common. Four wheels arranged in a square, upright seats for their occupants, similar lengths and widths. The one in front of her was far shorter and skinnier and it had two wheels set in a line. A leather pad was mounted on top of a metal frame with mechanical parts exposed to the open air and a pair of metal bars were fixed above the rear of the front wheel. "What is this thing, Asami? A different kind of car?"

"Strictly speaking, no, though the technology is pretty much the same. It's a motorcycle. Do you like it?"

Korra drifted forward towards the motorcycle, her gaze sweeping along its curves and straight edges alike. "I do." She breathed as one of her hands reached towards the machine before she pulled it back to her chest. "Can you... " Her voice trailed off as she searched for the right word before remembering what Asami had called it the previous day "...drive this with me? I don't know how to phrase it."

"It's 'take me for a ride', Korra." Asami gently corrected her. "I'd love to, but we can't, at least not with this one. It doesn't have any gas in it and the battery has been taken out. It's just for show at this point."

"Oh." A crestfallen Korra said as she gave the motorcycle a regretful look. "That's too bad."

"If you really want to ride it then I could ask my father if he would mind me fixing it up, Korra. If not then we could just go to a store in the city that sells them and take a test ride." Asami's voice trailed off for a moment as she considered the waterbender. "You know... I could teach you to drive if you'd like. That way you could go for a ride whenever you feel like it. It would take time though so you wouldn't be able to drive a motorcycle for a few weeks, possibly months."

Korra glanced at the motorcycle again before she rotated on the spot and craned her head to the side to peer at Asami's vehicle, an obstacle to the thing she hadn't known she wanted until now. After a moment she looked up at the solution to said obstacle. "You would really teach me how to drive this? Can I ask why?"

Asami shrugged her shoulders and stuck her hands in her pockets. "I suppose that's fair. You don't _need _to learn how to drive. Once you're officially a member of the council then you can get a personal driver if you want. I think it's worth learning though. Republic City is a big place and being able to get around on your own is a valuable skill. I think I'd go crazy if I didn't have the freedom my car gives me. There's nothing like going on a drive through the countryside-." Asami stopped talking abruptly as her cheeks colored. "Anyways, think about it and let me know what you decide."

"I'll do that." Korra said after a moment, hoping to cut through the sudden awkwardness. Asami's offer had sounded genuine, but that last bit seemed to be something that she hadn't planned on sharing. "How about you show me the workshop you mentioned earlier?" Korra suggested.

"Sure. It's right this way." Asami locked the door behind them after they had exited and selected a different key for the other building. Metal shelves containing all sorts of odds and ends, some of them collecting dust, ran along two of the walls while the other two were covered with boards holding all sorts of tools from short metal pegs. A silver car with its front raised up off the ground sat near the steel door. One of its front tires had been removed, presumably by the soft and thickset man sitting on the ground next to the tire as he examined a half circle made of metal. His dark gray hair had light bands streaking through it and he had a mustache running down to and along his jaw line. He was wearing a pair of denim coveralls sporting numerous small holes and patches that had been sewn on. The fabric looked like it had been bright blue once, but time and stains, including a fresh new black smear on its chest, had taken their toll on the garment.

"Who is this?" Korra asked with a glance over at Asami. "I thought I met all of the staff yesterday."

One of the man's eyebrows curved upwards and he let out a chuckle. At the same time Asami covered her mouth with one hand, her shoulders quivering as she tried not to laugh. Korra looked back and forth between them. "What?" She demanded.

"He's not one of the staff." Asami said once she regained control of herself. "This is my father, Hiroshi Sato. Dad, this is Korra. My fiancée and your future daughter in law."

Korra took a step backwards then a second as the meaning of Asami's words and the gaffe she had just made sank in. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean" Korra stammered before she stopped talking and flushed red.

Hiroshi chuckled as he set the half circle down and rose to his feet. "No, it's alright. It's an understandable mistake since I look the part right now. I'd shake your hand or offer you a hug, but I'd rather not get grease all over you and your clothes."

Korra's eyes flicked towards the stain on his outfit and she let out a relieved chuckle. "I appreciate that. I'm not sure what that is, but it doesn't look like water so I doubt I could get it out and I don't have anything else to wear so that would be... problematic."

He reached towards one pocket and grabbed a rag sticking out of it as he gave Korra a look of surprise. "You only have one outfit? May I ask why?"

"Is there something wrong with that?" Korra folded her arms across her chest as she looked between the two of them. "I can clean my clothes just fine. Done it twice since I met Asami and if they get damaged I can mend them as well though I'd need to go hunting for materials since I don't have any right now."

Silence fell as father and daughter exchanged a glance before Asami hastened to fill it in. "That's not what my father meant. Neither of us know how things are done in the Southern Water Tribe, but people in Republic City don't go around wearing the same outfit all the time. People who do are seen as... eccentric."

"You mean crazy, right?" Korra stated bluntly. "People would think I wasn't right in the head if I wore this all the time." She looked down at the fur and hide garments she was wearing then over at Asami. "I don't suppose you have staff members who make your clothes do you?"

"No, I'm afraid we don't, Korra. There's a tailor in the city my father and I go to when we feel like getting some new outfits. If you want then I can make an appointment for you. Speaking of which, that reminds me." Asami added as she turned towards her dad. "What do you think about throwing a gala in a few days?"

Hiroshi started to reach towards the hair on his face, but he stopped his grease stained hand short when he realized what he was doing. "A gala you say?" He mused. "Why is obvious. Everyone's seen that article by now and they'll be curious. Who would you invite?"

"Actually I was thinking of it being open to the public, but with a fee of say... five thousand yuans for a seat. All the money raised would be used to organize a relief expedition for the Southern Water Tribe."

Hiroshi paused for a moment, lost in thought as he looked at his daughter. "That's a clever move." He said eventually. "You don't run the risk of offending anyone by not inviting them and it'll let us see who approaches Korra during the gala."

"Uhh…" Korra began as she raised one of her hands into the air, palm facing up. "You shouldn't talk about me like I'm not here. It's kinda rude. What _are_ you talking about anyway?"

"Ah... my apologies." Hiroshi had the decency to look embarrassed when he realized his mistake. "I didn't mean to belittle you or be dismissive. I have a tendency to think out loud about politics when I'm at home. It hasn't been something I've had to worry about before now since Asami's the only person around to hear me. Now that you're here I'll have to do a better job minding what I say from now on."

"Right." His reasoning didn't entirely add up in Korra's opinion. Asami wasn't the only other person in the mansion. There was also the staff, but it was possible he was purposefully excluding them since they were his employees. It was also possible that the exclusion wasn't intentional, that he had grown so accustomed to their presence that they were part of the background scenery to him. "That doesn't answer my question. What are you talking about?"

Hiroshi bent over and picked the half-circle up and waved it in the air as he started towards one of the shelves. As Korra followed after him he began to talk. "I'm talking about the shift in the political climate that's going to take place now that you're here, Korra. You're the newest member of the council, at least once you're officially appointed." He set the item down on the shelf and rummaged through one of the boxes before pulling out a metal part that was identical in all respects save being thicker than the other one. "There's a wrench in the gears, however. No one knows anything about you. You're a total mystery to everyone, including myself, and that will make a lot of people nervous."

Hiroshi turned around and headed towards his car, object in hand. "By now everyone will have read the article Chazok published about your arrival. Many will recognize it as the drivel it is and will approach you with an open mind and some might become a friend or ally. Others will act friendly, but only so they can manipulate you for their own ends. The problem facing us is figuring out which of those two groups people belong to."

Korra lingered by the shelf as she watched Hiroshi walk away, a look of uncertainty appearing on her face before vanishing in a heartbeat. "I'll keep that in mind when we're at the gala, but that's a few days away I'm guessing. In the meantime can I ask what you're doing to the car, Mister Sato?"

"Mister Sato?" Hiroshi echoed as he turned towards Korra with a look of horror on his face. "That's what my employees call me, not my future daughter-in-law. Hiroshi will do just fine. As for your question, this car has been having some brake problems so I was taking a look to see what was wrong. Turns out that piece there had worn down and needed to be replaced."

Korra picked up the part that he had removed from the car and turned it over in her hands. "What is the brake for? I don't know anything about cars."

"Brakes are how you stop a car when it's moving, Korra." Asami answered as she finally rejoined the conversation. "Anyways, it was nice to see you again, dad. We should catch up on what I missed while I was away. Dinner tonight?"

"I'd like to, but I'm afraid I can't. I have meetings this evening that I can't postpone. Perhaps tomorrow, Asami." Hiroshi replied as he crouched down by the car and began maneuvering the brake part into position.

Asami's eyes lowered and her shoulders slumped a fraction of a centimeter. After a moment she forced a small smile back onto her face. "Sure thing, dad. Come on, Korra, let's see if we can squeeze in a meeting with the tailor today."

Korra set the component back down as she followed Asami towards the door. Behind them Hiroshi was silent save for a grunt or two, but she could hear his voice rattling around in her head. The advice he had given her was sound and something she intended to keep in mind going forward. There was one fault she could identify however. Hiroshi had been speaking entirely about other people and how they would behave towards Korra. He hadn't included himself or his daughter among the people he had been warning her of. She hadn't met any of those other people yet, just these two and now she had a question to answer.

Which group did Asami and Hiroshi Sato belong to? The group of people who might be her friends or the group of people who would pretend to be her friend in order to manipulate her?

Only time would tell.


	9. Chapter 9

Asami came to a halt next to a door near the bottom of a staircase. She opened it and gestured towards the inside. "After you."

Inside the room was a heavy wooden desk in between three chairs, two armchairs on one side and an office chair on the other. The top of the desk was empty save for a lamp on one end and a phone on the other. Asami waved at one of the armchairs as she moved around the desk and lowered herself into the cushy office chair. "Take a seat if you want, this should only take a couple of minutes."

As Korra sat down Asami picked up the phone's handset up off the metal hooks and she began to spin the round dial at its base. Korra tilted her head to the side as she watched curiously. "What does this device do?"

"It's a phone. It lets me talk to people in other places. Right now I'm calling the tailor to see if we can schedule an appointment for you." Asami's finger came to a halt and she glanced up from the dial. "I should also mention it's considered polite to wait until someone is done using the phone before speaking to them." Korra nodded and she sat back in her chair. Asami started spinning the dial again.

Seconds after she finished a ringing sound emitted from the handset and another before a man picked up. "Madame Liying's. How might we serve you?"

"Hello, this is Asami Sato. I was calling to see if you had any available times for an appointment."

"Oh, Miss Sato. Yes, one moment please." There was a brief pause, interrupted by the sound of paper rustling. "Madame Liying left instructions saying that you were welcome to come by at your leisure and she would attend to you herself."

"She will?" Asami said, unable to keep the surprise from her voice. "That's very generous of her. Thank you for letting me know. I'll be sure to take her up on that. Have a nice day." She set the handset back onto the stand and slumped back in her chair.

_'Now that's interesting. Why would she be expecting a call... oh duh. She read that article like everyone else. She knows I brought Korra here and anticipated I might need to get her clothes. Of course she wants us to come by. Being able to claim the newest council member as one of her clients would be another feather in her cap. I guess it doesn't really make any difference to me in the end. Korra needs more clothes and Liying's shop is the best place for us to go...'_

"Would you be okay with going to the tailor right now, Korra?"

Korra glanced up from her fingernails as Asami spoke to her. "Sure, why not? It's not like I have anything else to do at the moment." She put her hands on the chair's arms and pushed herself up to her feet. "Let's go."

Nearly half an hour later Asami had parked her car inside a concrete building and the two of them were walking down the sidewalk. After a couple of minutes they turned onto a side street lined with brick and mortar buildings, each of them flying the flag, or banners in some cases, of the United Republic. Asami raised her hand in front of Korra, bringing the waterbender to a sudden stop. "So, this is Zorri Lane. There's plenty of places to buy clothes in Republic City, but the best tailors in the city work here." She pointed at a storefront across from them. "That's where we're going."

In the very center of the storefront in question was a glass door with the words 'Madame Liying' writ upon it in cursive gold letters. Beneath the owner's name and title was the number five and the street name. On either side of the door were wide glass display cases. In each were mannequins sporting shimmering dresses. Beneath them on the floor were rows of small boxes full of black velvet and various accouterments of all sorts of precious metals and gems.

Asami glanced in both directions before crossing the street and heading into the store. The man she had spoken with earlier was seated behind a curved desk with a phone and folders full of paper. He looked up as they entered, his gaze falling on Asami first before darting towards and lingering on Korra. "Miss Sato, Miss Korra, welcome to Madame Liying's. If you'll wait a minute I'll inform her you're here."

He stood and disappeared down one of two hallways located at opposite sides of the foyer. When the man returned he was accompanied by a tall and willowy woman wearing a red dress cut in the latest style. Her chestnut brown hair was bound up in a messy bun on the back of her neck and crows feet were present at the corners of her blue eyes. She placed her palms together and bowed towards them. "Miss Sato, it's a pleasure to see you again. Miss Korra, my name is Liying and it's the greatest of honors to welcome you to my shop. I have a room set aside if you'll please follow me."

Liying turned and headed down the hallway she had come out of, Asami and Korra in tow. She stopped next to a door made of reddish wood, pushing and holding it open for them. The room inside was windowless and the walls were covered in swirling mahogany panels. In one of the corners opposite the door stood an oval mirror tall and wide enough for a person to see all of themselves in it. In the other was a divider of folding panels carved from dark oak and set at an angle so that it obscured the corner and anyone standing behind it from view. Facing the mirror and divider were a pair of club chairs and in-between them was a clothing rack full of empty hangers and tools hanging from the sides.

"Nothing for me today." Asami stated as she took a seat in one of the club chairs. "I'm just here to help Korra out. She could use some clothes for everyday wear. Fifteen tops and bottoms, underwear, socks and some shoes would be a good start. The other thing is that I'm planning to throw a gala, black tie in a week maybe, so Korra needs an outfit for that, sooner than later."

_'Oops, I was talking about her like she wasn't there. She just got mad at my dad for the same thing, not to mention I was basically ordering for her as well.' _Asami's eyes flicked towards the woman in question, but Korra's face was placid, lacking in any hints of irritation or anger. If anything she seemed glad that Asami had taken the lead.

"A week you say? We can accommodate that, but it'd be a rush order which costs extra of course." Liying said as she considered Korra, her gaze sweeping over muscular arms and those fur and hide garments. "First thing we need to do is to find out what we're working with." She went to the clothing rack and retrieved a thin narrow strip of cloth tape and small notepad from it.

Korra took a long step back as Liying started to approach her and she warily eyed the tape. "What is that for?"

"I need to get your measurements, Korra, to make sure your clothes will fit properly. I also may have to move parts of you for certain measurements just so you know. " Liying explained as she turned the tape so that the black numbers printed on it were visible to the waterbender.

After a moment Korra shrugged and Liying moved forward again. She raised one of Korra's hands up and set it so that her arm was bent and hand resting on her hip. Liying's tape ran from Korra's shoulder to the end of her wrist before Liying wrote down a number on her pad. After that the tape wrapped around Korra's wrist and then her bicep. The tailor stepped behind Korra as she measured from the back of one shoulder to the back of the other. "Well that was the easy part. The next few measurements are a bit more intrusive. Let me know if you don't feel comfortable with where my hands or tape end up dear."

Korra threw a pensive look towards Asami and Asami gave an encouraging smile in return. "It'll be okay, Korra. Madame Liying has never been anything but professional with me."

Korra started as the tape wound around the widest part of her hips for a moment before moving upwards to her waist and grew taut again. After Liying jotted down the latest number she pulled the tape away from Korra's waist and dangled it between her hands. "Would you prefer to remove your shirt and anything you might have underneath it out here or behind the partition? I need to measure your bust."

"E-excuse me!?" An indignant Korra sputtered as her eyes narrowed. "You want me to do _what? _No. Absolutely not._"_

Liying faltered for a second before pulling the tape away and taking a step away from Korra. "As you wish. In that case may I ask what your cup size is? Knowing that would allow me to make an estimate at the dimensions needed for your tops as well as your undergarments."

"My... cup size?" Korra repeated, her brow furrowed. After a moment she looked over at Asami. "I don't know what that means. Translate please."

_'She doesn't know what bras are? That's odd. Wait, no it isn't. The South Pole's been cut off for well over a hundred years and bras only started showing up in the last fifty or so. Before that women wore corsets...'_

Asami shifted in her chair as she looked at Korra, the question of the waterbender was wearing underneath that tunic now firmly planted in the front of her mind. "She's talking about bras. They're a type of clothing that women in Republic City and other places use to support their breasts. Liying, would you mind fetching us an example? I'm sure you must have one buried somewhere around here."

Liying gave a short bow. "As you wish. I'll see if I can find any, Miss Sato."

Once the tailor had left the room Asami drummed her fingers on the arm of her chair. "May I ask you something, Korra? It's kinda a forward question so I'd understand if you don't feel like answering."

"What is it?"

"I've seen you in action and your movement didn't seem restricted like it would be if you were wearing a corset. What kind of undergarment are you using to support your chest, if any?"

Korra's head dipped lower as she considered herself and the outfit she was wearing. Her head came back up and she glanced at the still-shut door. Her hands rose to the sides of her tunic and she pulled it off in a single movement. Asami started in surprise and her eyes widened at the sight in front of her. Narrow strips of supple white leather rested atop her shoulders, broadening as they ran down to the top of her ribcage so that her bosom was both concealed and held up by them at the same time.

_'Holy crap, that's a really chiseled stomach. How did she get a set of abs like that? The more she takes off the more perfect her breasts look. Wait, am I staring? Asami, you slackjawed idiot. Snap out of it!'_

Asami cleared her throat as she shook herself out of her reverie. Korra didn't seem to have noticed anything out of the ordinary so maybe it hadn't been that long after all Asami decided. "Okay, that's an answer I wasn't expecting. This reminds me of a halter top, but it's a lot more reinforced." Asami said as she leaned forward to get a better look at the garment and definitely not was underneath it.

"Well yeah, it has to be." Korra stated as she eyed the same parts of her body that Asami was. "If I'm going into battle then I can't be worrying about my chest bouncing around. Anyways, does this answer your question?"

"Yes, it does." Asami replied. _'Though now I have some new ones...' _"Liying should be back soon so you might want to put your clothes back on."

"Oh, right." Korra pulled her tunic back on and tugged it into place. "Do I really need to have my breasts measured? Can't Liying just eyeball it and make adjustments as needed? It's what I do when I'm sewing my clothes."

"Technically that's possible." Asami admitted after checking behind her to make sure that Liying wasn't in the room to hear this. "I wouldn't recommend it however. A bra that's not properly fitted could end up being too tight or the straps might dig into your shoulders just to name a few problems that might happen. Plus it can issue issues with any garments that you wear over them as well."

Korra let out an exasperated sigh and she looked at the nearby wall, as if suddenly fascinated by the swirling patterns in the wood. Asami remained silent as the gears spun in the waterbenders head and Korra looked back at her after a spell. "All she really needs is the numbers right? What if you two show me how to do the measurements and I take them myself?"

"I think we can handle that. Let me go see where Liying is."

Asami headed to the door and stepped out into the hallway. Liying was standing a short distance away right where Asami knew she would be. In the tailors hands was a hodgepodge of elastic and white cotton fibers. Liying gave Asami a polite smile. "Are you ready for me to come back in, Miss Sato?"

"Not just yet. Korra and I worked out a compromise so I'll need the tape please. In the meantime would you mind fetching us a dress that you think will suit Korra and perhaps some high heels as well?"

After heading back inside Asami unzipped her jacket and removed it before draping it over the back of the chair she had been sitting in. "I'm going to demonstrate the measurements for Korra and she's going to take them herself so I'll need the tape please. Korra, that thing there is a bra. There's other kinds, but pretty much all of them will look like this for the most part."

Asami handed the garment to Korra, who examined it briefly before setting it aside and returning her attention to her fiancée. Asami circled the tape around her chest and pressed her fingers against it to mark a spot on the underside of one breast. "So the first three measurements are for your underbust. You'll be doing this with a bare chest by the way. The exact spot will be different for you, but you want to find the point where your breast tissue is attached to your chest." She pulled the tape into position to demonstrate as she continued to talk.

"First one is a loose measurement, the second will be more snug and the third will be as tight as you can like you're trying to break the tape, but don't actually do that." Asami hastily added on at the end. Given the size of Korra's muscles she probably could manage that feat.

The tape slackened and moved higher up on Asami's breast. "So the next three are all right here, around the fullest part of your breast." She spread her feet apart as she demonstrated each of the positions as she described them. The difference is your stance. Stand straight up for the first one, lean forward as much as you can for the second then lie down on your back for the last."

"All right, sounds simple enough." Korra said as she took the tape from Asami then grabbed the pad Liying had been writing her measurements down on before disappearing behind the divider.

Asami moved over to the chair and fell more than sat on it. She rested her chin on her hand as she stared at the wooden partition concealing Korra. _'By now she's taken her shirt off again, but this time that halter of hers is off too. Really didn't expect that she would just show me her underwear like that when I asked about it. Why did it affect me so much? It didn't reveal any of her private parts even if it exposed more skin than bathing suits in Republic City do. I guess I was just surprised considering how she reacted to Liying asking her to strip. At least I've learned something about Korra's taboos today.'_

By the time Korra had finished measuring herself Liying had returned. The tailor had brought a sleeveless royal blue dress with wide shoulder straps and several pairs of black high heels with her. The dress had been hung on the rack and the heels set down beneath it. Liying gestured at the dress after Korra came out from behind the divider. "So I went with a royal blue and I was thinking of pairing it with a white shawl since those are Water Tribe colors. You might have already noticed that the dress is overly large, but's intentional. I use oversized dresses so that all of my clients can get a first impression of how a dress looks on them and whether they're interested in it or not. Please feel free to try it on."

Korra gingerly picked the dress up and held it at arm's length with a faint look of distaste on her face. She leaned forward and her hand drifted between the different pairs of heels before picking one of them up. Korra turned her wrist so that the spikes were pointed upwards and she curved an eyebrow at the sight before shrugging. She headed behind the divider and hung the dress from it and the heels thumped on the floor. When she came out Korra was clutching at the front of her dress up with her right hand and lifting the hem of dress with her left to keep it out of the way. She was wobbling as she walked towards the mirror, each painstakingly slow step threatening to drop her to the floor. "This is insane! Why would anyone wear shoes like these?" She complained. "It's all I can do just to keep from falling over and that's from just trying to walk normally. There's no way I could run or bend or do anything in these things!"

Asami stifled the urge to chuckle as Korra kicked the heels off so violently they flew halfway across the room. "I can understand that. Heels aren't very practical, but they're required for women of Republic City on certain occasions..."

Her voice trailed off as her gazed drifted to Liying and an obvious realization dawned on her. "I think we're going about this the wrong way, Liying. We're trying to pick outfits that a woman from Republic City would wear, but Korra isn't from Republic City. Would you go fetch us a dinner suit?"

Liying's eyebrows curved up and the whites of her eyes doubled in size at Asami's request. She twisted to look at Korra and covered her mouth with one finger. "A dinner suit... you say. Yes... I like this." Liying murmured thoughtfully. "It's bold. It'll catch people by surprise while scandalizing some of the old guard and the papers will eat it up. I'll be right back."

The tailor hurried as quickly out of the room as her dignity would permit. Once she was gone Korra bent over to pick up the heels and started to carry them back over towards the rack. "So what do you mean when you say outfits that a woman would wear? Women need an extra piece of underwear, but why should there be a difference other than that? Clothes are clothes."

_'How pragmatic. I suppose living in the South Pole will do that to you since you're more concerned with not freezing to death than how your outfit looks. That would explain why all of her tribe were wearing pretty much the same outfit.'_

"Maybe that's the case in the South Pole, but that's not the custom here in Republic City." Asami pointed out.

"Your customs are weird." Korra muttered. "To me anyways, but I guess since I'm in Republic City then I should get used to it."

Asami was spared the need to reply by Liying returning to the room once more. The tailor was carrying clothes like before, but there were no shoes this time. Instead she held a black jacket with gold buttons on its lapels and a white vest to go underneath it along with a pair of black trousers with suspenders attached. "So these aren't Water Tribe colors I'm afraid. I don't have many men as customers and this was the only dining suit near your size that I could find. Would you care to try it on?"

Korra adjusted her grip on the neckline of her dress and tugged it back up towards her neck as she took the garments from Liying with her free hand. She went behind the divider and a moment later a wadded up ball of blue silk arced over the divider. Liying winced as she retrieved the dress and hung it from the rack, but not with taking her time to smooth out any wrinkles. Korra walked back out a minute later and a tiny grin found its way onto Asami's face at the sight in front of her. _'That's it. Well it will be once Liying finishes her work.'_

The trousers were several centimeters too long and continued past Korra's ankle bone onto her foot. Her jacket hung limply on her shoulders and the fabric of her shirt was caught up on her breasts, pulling the shirt's hem upwards, exposing her midriff. The waterbender strode towards the mirror and examined her reflection for a few seconds before turning to face Asami. "Do I have to wear heels with this outfit?"

"No, you don't, Korra." Asami replied after suppressing the urge to chuckle at Korra's blatant and unconcealed disdain for a kind of footwear she had only first encountered in the last half hour. "If you chose a dress then you would need heels since this is a black tie event. If you pick this outfit then you would wear a pair of pumps instead which are much easier to walk in than heels."

"Right. Well that settles that. I'll go with the suit." Korra declared with a finality that made it clear she considered the matter over. She turned towards Liying. "So what do you want in trade for all of this? It would take me a day or two, but I can hunt and fish so if you want meat or furs then I can get them. I'm also a healer if you would prefer that."

"Ah..." Liying's composure cracked and she straightened up as her eyes widened before her face turned ever so slowly in Asami's direction in a mute appeal for help.

"That won't be necessary." Asami cut in as she leaped to the tailor's rescue and out of her chair at the same time. She dug her wallet out of her jacket and pulled a thin rectangular piece of pink paper and held it up. "We don't use the barter system in Republic City, we pay for things using yuans."

Korra leaned closer as she peered at the numbers and depiction of Republic City Hall on the yuan. "Huh... okay, well I don't have any of those so I don't know how I'm supposed to pay for this."

"You don't have to, Korra. I'm the one paying for this." Asami explained. "All you have to worry about is deciding what you want to get."

There was plenty of decisions remaining for Korra, but the most important one had been made. After they were finished here Liying and her staff would set about making the necessary alterations. Until then Korra and Asami had nothing to do but wait.


	10. Chapter 10

Korra rolled over so that she was lying face down on the blanket, one of the pillows squished between her arms and held tight against her chest. A drawn out sigh escaped her lips as she stared at a round object on the wall. Numbers ran along the edge of the device and three levers sat in the middle. One of them was moving in short increments, each lurch forward accompanied by a ticking that seemed too loud in the otherwise silent bedroom.

"So... bored."

If she was back in the south then Korra would have any number of activities to occupy her time. Sewing new clothes or mending old ones, cleaning, preparing meals, standing guard or going on patrols, hunting, fishing, training herself or other members of her tribe. That wasn't true in this place however. If she wanted food then all Korra had to do was push a button and it would be delivered to her on a cart. There was a hamper in the event that her clothes got dirty and a maid who would empty it for her and she had visited a tailor earlier that day to get more. Her door had a lock, not that she needed it since the war was over. Korra had been freed of all her duties and now she had nothing but time on her hands.

She glared at the clock a moment longer, each infernal tick seeming like it was mocking her newfound idleness, before standing up. Korra tossed the pillow onto the blanket and headed for the door. The waterbender lingered outside as she looked up and down the hallway. "I think the gym is... that way." She murmured to herself while setting off.

After a few minutes Korra found herself in a wing of the mansion that she hadn't seen before. The carpet had given way to smooth white squares and there was a deep muted rumbling coming from somewhere nearby. More striking was the pleasant aroma suffusing the air. Korra sniffed as she moved down the hallway towards a pair of swinging doors that each had a round glass window near the top. She pushed her way through them and craned her head from side to side as she looked around.

A number of men wearing white aprons over black trousers and shirts were present in the room facing towards one of the walls as they worked. Metal containers of varying sizes stood stacked on top of each other and side by side in the middle of the room. More metal ran along the edges of the room, large sinks and shelves holding pots and pans and various kitchen implements. In addition a single woman was present, Kika, standing next to a table holding a box labeled 'bread'. She glanced towards the door and her face blanched as Korra stepped inside. "Miss Korra! This is an unexpected surprise. What brings you out this way?"

"I was looking for the gym, but I guess I got lost. What's that smell?" Korra asked while she moved forward, trying to identify the source.

"It's one of the courses for dinner this evening, Miss Korra. Pork shoulder that's been roasting since the morning." Kika stepped to the side, placing her in Korra's path and bringing the waterbender to a halt. "If you're looking for the gym then I can show you the way."

"I'd appreciate that." Korra managed to get out before Kika was walking forward, compelling Korra to move or let her space be invaded by the older woman.

Once they were outside Kika was quick to take the lead and she set a brisk pace back towards the carpeted segment of the hallway. Before long they had passed by Korra's room and a minute after that they had come to the doors leading to the pool and the gyms facing each other. Kika came to a halt and turned about before gesturing towards the door on her left. "Here you are, Miss Korra. If there's nothing else then I'll be on my way."

"No that's it."

Kika curtsied then went back down the hallway in the direction of the kitchen. Korra raised an eyebrow as she watched the other woman leave before heading towards the gym. She only made it a couple of meters inside before realizing there was someone already present. A woman with her black hair bound up into a thick ponytail and she was clad in a gray shirt and black leggings that clung to her hips. The other woman was seated on the floor, her knees bent in front of her, and she was gripping a leather ball half again as large as her head. She twisted to her left and tapped the ball against the ground before twisting to her right. The ball tapped the ground once again, but didn't rise up into the air again. "Oh, Korra! I didn't hear you come in." Asami exclaimed. "Do you need something?"

"No. I didn't have anything to do so I thought I'd poke around the gym and exercise a bit. It's been a few days, but it looks like you're busy so I'll come back later."

"Nonsense." Asami declared as she put a hand on the floor and stood up. "There's plenty of room for two people in here. It'll be good to have some company for once. There's some exercises I've wanted to add to my workouts, but they all require a partner and I'm always alone when I'm in here."

"Why? There's what, thirty people working in the mansion? Couldn't you ask one of them to work out with you?"

Asami pivoted on one foot and her eyes flicked towards the wall. Korra glanced in the same direction. It took her a moment to reorient herself due to the still somewhat unfamiliar layout of the mansion, but her fiancée was gazing towards where Korra had run into Kika. "No, I'm afraid that's not possible since I'm their employer. We can interact on a professional level, but anything more casual than that, such as working out together, would be... improper."

Korra clamped her lips together to stop herself from blurting out the last word Asami had just spoken. Her fiancée's explanation didn't make sense to Korra, but it would explain why Kika had all but shooed her away from the kitchen. Korra had walked into a place where she wasn't supposed to be and violated some sort of social taboo that people in Republic City possessed.

"Okay, well I don't work for you. What kind of exercises are you talking about?" Korra asked as she glanced around the room for some kind of clue.

Asami bent at the waist as she grabbed the leather sphere then straightened up. "Catch."

Asami shoved both arms forward and the ball flew towards Korra. The waterbender raised her hands in time to intercept it. "Oh, this thing is heavier than I thought it would be." Korra said as she hefted the ball up a few times, gauging the object's mass.

"Right? Medicine balls can be deceiving. That one weighs eight kilograms. Do you want to try a different weight? There's some heavier and lighter ones available." Asami pointed towards the row of medicine balls lined up against the wall.

"Nah, this is fine, I need to warm up first anyways." Korra said. She adjusted her grip on the ball then shoved both hands outwards sending the ball at the other woman. The back of Asami's hands slammed against her chest and she had to take a step back to brace herself as she caught it.

"Oof. That was a lot of force there and you're just starting to warm up?" A disbelieving Asami asked. "I don't think I could throw this ball that hard even on my best day. Would you mind taking it easy on me?"

"Sure, I can do that." A chagrined Korra mumbled. The next time it was her turn to throw Korra relaxed her arms before she lobbed the leather sphere to her fianceé. This time Asami caught it with ease and lobbed it back in a fluid motion. The ball flew back and forth for a couple of minutes more before Korra caught it one last time and tucked it under her arm. "Okay, my upper body is good now. How do you warm up your legs? Sprints?"

"You can if you want." Asami said with a shrug. "I've never liked running so I do a few minutes on the exercise bike instead." Korra turned her head one way then the other before giving Asami a questioning look. "That thing there." Asami pointed at the contraption with wheels and a leather seat.

Korra dropped the ball on the floor and moved closer to the bike, her head tilted to the side as she examined the machine while walking around it. She finished a full revolution before stopping next to its center. Korra threw one leg over as she sat down on the seat and planted her feet against the pedals while grabbing into the handlebars. The wheels began to spin, filling the room with a whirring sound as the blades inside forced their way through the air. "Like this, Asami?"

"Pretty much, but I'm a bit taller than you so moving the seat down a few centimeters wouldn't hurt. You can also adjust the resistance by turning this knob here if you think it's too easy." Asami tapped the knob in question, located in the center of the handlebars between Korra's fingers.

Korra twisted the knob several and the machine responded accordingly as the pedals resisted the driving of her legs more than they had been before. She continued to pedal and after a minute Korra looked up to see a bemused look on Asami's face. "What?"

"I'm impressed. I'm guessing you've never used an exercise bike before since you didn't recognize the term, but your form is almost ideal. It took me a couple of weeks to adjust my form, but you got it right away without any coaching or help."

Korra reddened and her legs slowed to a stop as she looked downwards. "It's not that hard. This machine isn't very complicated. I'm just holding onto the bars and pushing on those things down there." She pointed down at one of the pedals. "Anyways, can we do something else? I think I'm warmed up now."

"As you wish. Do you have something in particular you want to work on?" Asami asked.

"I remember seeing pads in the other room." Korra said as she got off of the bike and started heading for the door to the gym. "I'd like to practice my kickboxing if you don't mind. It's been a couple of weeks since I was busy due to being on a hunting trip and coming here so it'd be nice to shake the rust off."

Asami bent over to pick up the medicine ball, carrying it over to its ilk and setting it down in the gap in the line of other medicine balls. "Sure we can do that. Do you want me to hold the pads for you or would you prefer something more challenging?"

"Such as?"

"You're not the only one who's rusty. I haven't been able to train for the last month since I was busy trying to find your people. How about we do a little sparring? Me vs you. Hand to hand only, no waterbending."

"You want to fight me?" A skeptical Korra asked as she stopped walking. "I don't think that's such a good idea. I don't want to hurt you, Asami." She might have been trained as a waterbender, but Korra didn't particularly relish the notion of having to use those skills on her fiancée.

Asami shrugged Korra's concerns off as she walked past the waterbender. "Don't worry about it. I'm not some flower that'll wilt if you breathe on it too hard and besides, this isn't a fight. We're just sparring."

Korra closed her eyes and fought down the urge to let out an exasperated sigh. The first toss of the medicine ball had been enough for Asami to ask Korra to take it easy and now Korra was upgrading to fists and shins. If she didn't pull her punches then this was going to get ugly fast.

When Korra got to the other gym Asami was standing, barefooted, on the mats as she waited. Korra started to step onto them, but Asami held a hand up. "Shoes and socks off please. It makes it easier to keep the mats clean."

"Um, okay." Korra said as she pulled her footwear off and stepped forward to join Asami. "Do you want to put some protective gear on?"

"Nah, it'll just get in the way."

Asami's knees bent beneath her and she held both hands, fingers straight, in front of her. Korra frowned to herself as she eyed Asami. The other woman's stance was all wrong. The way Asami was leaning forward meant she couldn't throw a proper kick and her hands were too low to protect her head. Korra balled her right hand into a fist and threw a lazy jab that even a beginner would be able to dodge. Asami's head dipped away from the fist and she exploded forward, her forehead driving into Korra's ribs while grabbing behind Korra's knees. As Korra's back hit the mat her brain flashed backwards. This was the exact same thing that Asami had done to her when she had tried to kill Mako. She had dismissed that occurrence as an act of desperation to save her friend, but it happening again proved Korra wrong. This wasn't an accident, it was intentional. Asami was a trained grappler.

Korra pushed her hands flat against the mat as she tried to squirm away. Asami wrapped her arms around the waterbender's waist and gripped her hands together. As Korra continued trying to escape Asami raised her hips into the air while keeping her shoulder pressed into Korra and walked her feet around until she was near perpendicular to Korra. When Korra's right hand came off the mat to push against Asami's shoulder a pale arm slid beneath her neck. Asami gripped her hands together and she began pushing her shoulder forward against Korra's tricep. Korra's feet frantically kicked against the mat as she continued trying to get away from Asami to no avail. The pressure against her neck continued to rise and her eyes began to grow heavy while a sudden drowsiness swept through her body as if it were time to take a nap.

The pressure abruptly abated as Asami let go of Korra's neck and rolled over to sit on her bottom. "Are you all right, Korra?" She asked, her voice more than a little anxious as she searched for any signs of injury.

Korra rested her fingers on her temple as she shook her head from side to side to try and dispel the cobwebs that had formed in a short few seconds. Several seconds passed before she sat up and looked at Asami. "What did you do to me? It felt like I was about to pass out."

"I put you in a blood choke, more specifically an arm triangle." Asami explained as she hugged her knees with her arms. "Those kinds of chokes cut off the flow of blood to the brain and can put a person to sleep if applied properly. Are you all right?"

"I'm fine, but I think my ego is a little bruised." A chagrined looking Korra said. "I've always taken pride in my skill as a warrior, but you completely crushed me and it didn't feel like you were trying either."

"Only because you thought I was just a pretty face so you underestimated me. I did the same thing when we were playing chess. I didn't think you would be any good so I didn't take you seriously until it was too late." Asami pointed out with a grin that was equal parts teasing and sheepish.

"You got me there." Korra admitted as she rubbed the back of her neck. "That doesn't change the fact that you still would have crushed me even if I had been taking you seriously. I've never trained any kind of grappling so the fight would have been over the moment you got me to the ground."

"None at all? Your people don't train any kind of grappling at all? Not even wrestling?"

Korra shook her head. "No." She hesitated for a moment before continuing. "Well, not any more. My people used to have a wrestling style of their own, but then the war began and wrestling fell by the wayside as being impractical. What's the use of wrestling when it would just get you stabbed or burned?"

The words had barely left her lips when the answer to her rhetorical question dawned on Korra. The war was over so her reason for not training grappling was no longer applicable. She raised her gaze to look at her fiancée. Korra might not have ever trained grappling before, but the ease with which she had been dismantled was evidence that Asami had trained plenty. "Can you teach me... whatever your style of grappling is called? I'd like to learn."

"You want me to teach you?" Asami blinked in surprise at the question. "I suppose I could show you some stuff, but I'm only a purple belt. It'd be better if you learned from the black belt who trains me, but... well... he's from the Fire Nation. He moved to Republic City to teach judo about a decade ago."

Korra flinched as soon as she heard the words Fire Nation and she looked away to hide the way her face involuntarily twisted in anger. "I see... Well, thank you for telling me. I still want to learn, but not from him. Please teach me, Asami."

"All right, if you insist." Asami said as she started to stand up. "I guess we should start with the basic positions."

What Korra had said was true. She _did_ want to learn, but she hadn't explained why. This was a style of fighting that she had never seen before and her vulnerability to it was a flaw Korra wanted to remedy. Furthermore she would be able to pass it onto her people once she had mastered it. Lastly it would also help pass the excess of free time she had found herself burdened with. If accomplishing all of that meant calling Asami master then that was a price she was willing to pay.


	11. Chapter 11

Asami raised her hand and rapped her knuckles against the door to Korra's room with her free hand. After a moment the rooms occupant opened the door a crack to peer out before opening it further. "Oh, it's you, Asami. I thought it was Kika coming back to see if I needed anything again. She's awfully persistent." Korra scowled as she glanced up and down the hallway for any sign of the maid in question.

"She's just trying to do her job, Korra." Asami explained while trying not to laugh at how annoyed Korra sounded about someone trying to clean her room for her. "The reason she keeps coming back is because you're stopping her. If you let her clean things up, say after breakfast, then she wouldn't trouble you as much."

"If you say so." Korra said, seemingly unconvinced. "Anyways, what's that you have?" She pointed at the glossy paper bags Asami was holding in one hand.

"These are the clothes from Liying. She had them sent over, but they were brought to me by mistake so I figured I'd bring them to you." Asami held the bags up for Korra to take.

"Oh, thanks, Asami." Korra said as she grabbed the corded handles and took a step back from the doorway. "I actually had some questions for you since I don't know anything about this fashion stuff. That is if you don't mind?"

"Not at all." Asami followed Korra inside and headed over to the dining table. She sat down, sideways, on one of the chairs while glancing around the room. It was much the same as the last time Asami had been in here and like before blankets were piled up on the floor next to the bed. "What did you want to know?"

Korra set the bags down and rummaged around in one before pulling out a couple of shirts, a pair of jeans and some shorts. She held them up in the air while looking back and forth between each hand. "What are the rules for this? How do you decide what pieces to wear? The colors?"

"That's one of the things to consider. There's a lot of other factors that go into it as well. The weather, the time of year, where you're going and what you're doing. If you were going to a fancy restaurant then wearing jeans wouldn't be recommended, for example. Right now it's the winter season so pretty much everyone is wearing pants and coats of some kind. If it was summer then there would be a lot of people wearing shorts and tee-shirts. As for color..."

Asami glanced around the room even though there was no point. _'This would be a lot easier to explain if I had a color wheel. I should have brought this up at the tailor's. Liying would be sure to have one lying around.'_

"There's a few different approaches to picking colors. It's difficult to describe since I don't have the tool to show you what I'm talking about." Asami said as she started trying to figure out how to explain this. She paused and took a look at the pale blue hides that Korra was wearing at the moment. "Well, let's use your outfit to start. Your pants and that shirt of yours are all blue. There's some white mixed in, but overall your outfit is what we would call monochromatic."

Korra pursed her lips before cutting in to stop Asami short before she continued on the vaguely esoteric path she was walking. "Uhh... how do _you _choose what colors to wear?"

"Uhmm... well my favorite color is red so a lot of the time I pair that with whatever neutral color I feel like at the moment. Whites, grays, blacks. When I'm dressing up I like to wear all red if I can get away with it."

"Okay so one neutral color and one of anything else." Korra muttered. She turned her attention to the garments she was holding, raising and lowering each hand as she eyed the garments. After a moment her gaze returned to Asami and lingered there as she bit her lower lip.

The waterbender hesitated as she tugged at the hem of her tunic and for once the waterbender seemed nervous. Korra then took a deep breath and strode towards the door, grabbed the key and locked it. She placed the key back onto its hook before moving to stand directly in front of Asami. Her eyes turned down towards the floor at Asami's feet as she began to speak.

"So I have some things I want to say to you, Asami. This hasn't been an easy transition for either of us and it's entirely been my fault. I've been angry, hostile and I've done, or tried to do, some awful things to your friends. Despite all of that you've been extraordinarily patient. You've tolerated my outbursts, let things slide, brought me into your home, explained stuff that I didn't understand and y taught me new things as well. I know we're not officially married, but I'm still your... partner I guess and I have responsibilities to you as such. I don't mind that, it's part of what I signed up for... but I haven't been able to meet any of them. If you want food then you just push a button, if your room or your clothes get dirty then someone will clean them for you. If you want more clothes then you go to Liying. This house is better than any igloo I could make. You don't need me to protect you either, our sparring session was proof of that. The more I think about it, the more I realize there's only one thing I _can_ offer you."

Korra's fingers went to the hem of her tunic once again, but this time they seized hold of the fabric and pulled up and up until it was clear of Korra's head. The garment fell to the floor and Korra lowered herself onto one knee and then the other before she looked up at Asami. "The one thing I have to offer you is my body. If you want to use me then you can. If you want me to pleasure you then I'll do that as well."

Asami swallowed and her heart began to race as she stared at the sight in front of her. Korra wasn't wearing the halter top Asami had seen previouly. In its place was one of the bras Korra had chosen while they were at Liying's. The black cups were properly fitted, but they revealed far more of the waterbenders chest to Asami's eyes than Korra's halter had. A swell of unmarred brown flesh.

_'Oh crap, oh crap, oh crap. Her breasts are absolutely perfect_. _I bet they'd feel amazing if I had them in my hands. Not only is her body perfect, but she's on her knees like she's... Wait, what the hell am I saying? I barely know this woman and I'm thinking about _that? _Get it together, Asami!'_

Asami cleared her throat and she did her best to ignore the fact her cheeks were a bright red. She stood up and took a step to the side and bent over, one hand picking up Korra's tunic before sitting down next to her. "Put this back on, Korra. Please."

"What? Why?" A startled Korra asked as she took the garment though she didn't put it on. "Don't you find me appealing?"

Asami kept her eyes up high as she focused on Korra's face while trying to ignore the urge to peek downwards at that marvelous bosom. Korra had a bad tendency to turn prickly in a flash at the best of times and now she had exposed herself, figuratively _and _literally, to Asami. This was a situation Asami had never expected to transpire, so suddenly at that, and she was thoroughly unprepared for this. Even so she had to choose her next words with the utmost care or this could get ugly fast.

"Korra, you are an _incredibly _beautiful woman. Your offer is very flattering and I would definitely enjoy your company in bed. Honestly I am _very_ tempted to say yes, but I can't. When I have sex with someone, I want that person to be someone I love and someone who loves me back. To me, sex is a way of demonstrating that bond through giving and receiving pleasure. I understand this offer is your way of trying to be a good partner, but it's not something I'm comfortable with. It seems like you're making this offer not because you _want _to, but because you feel you're obligated by duty to make it. I wouldn't be comfortable having sex with you because if I said yes then it would feel coercive, like I'm taking advantage of you."

The waterbender buried her face in the tunic and let out a loud groan. "I am such an _idiot_. It should have occurred to me that you'd treat sex differently. I went about this like you're from my tribe and you're not. Of course you have different customs and rules." Korra sighed and she straightened her tunic out before pulling it back over her head.

Asami relaxed as Korra tugged her tunic back into place. "You're not an idiot, Korra. It's only been a few days since you got to Republic City. There hasn't been nearly enough time for you to learn all the ways our culture differs from yours. Conflicts were inevitable... though I never expected you to flash your underwear at me."

Korra glanced away as red spots appeared under her eyes and she coughed nervously. "I guess. You're not mad, are you?"

"No, most definitely not." Asami declared as she put a hand on Korra's shoulder. "Surprised yes, but I'm not angry with you. What you did came from the right place. You were trying to make our partnership work, in your own way, which I appreciate."

Korra sighed in relief and she leaned back to sit on her hands as she stared at the ceiling. "And there you go, being understanding again. You know it's almost frustrating how patient you've been lately. Is it weird that part of me kinda wants you to get angry and yell sometimes?"

"A little bit." Asami said with a laugh. "I don't understand everything you do though. I've been trying to figure out why you put your blankets on the floor, but I haven't had any luck."

"That's…" Korra's head swiveled to look towards the blankets in question. "This bed and the bed on the ship, they're too soft. When I lay on them it feels like I'm sinking into the ocean and I can't fall asleep. Putting the blankets on the floor and curling up inside them is what I'm used to."

'_So she didn't just sleep like that while on a hunting trip. Korra slept like that all the time, wrapped in blankets on a field of ice… my back hurts just thinking about it.'_

"Would you like to try a firmer mattress then, Korra? I've always favored soft mattresses, but a harder one might be better for you. It'd mean a trip into the city so maybe we could make a day of it. Hit up a mattress store, see some of the sights, get dinner somewhere. What do you say?"

"That sounds like a good idea." Korra said after a moment's consideration.. "How about I meet you at the garage in fifteen minutes? I have to use the bathroom plus I need to go find Kika and tell her it's okay to clean up in here now."

Asami chuckled and she patted Korra on the shoulder. "Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes then." She pushed herself up to her feet and headed for the door. Asami shut the door behind her once she was in the hall then slumped backwards against it. She shut her eyes and inhaled then exhaled slowly. As she stood there her thoughts drifted away until her mind was clear. An image appeared in the black void, unsummoned or consciously sought after. A pair of perfect breasts and the thin layer of cloth covering them.

'_That image isn't going away anytime soon.'_


	12. Chapter 12

Korra glanced up as gravel crunched beneath her feet with each step. The sky was still blue and the sun shining brightly, but it was noticeably closer to the horizon than its apex. Odds were that it would be dark before her imminent trip was over. Ahead of her was a car with its top down and standing next to it was the vehicles owner. "Nice choice of colors, Korra. Black looks good on you. It brings out your eyes."

"It does?" Korra looked down at the black tee shirt and blue jeans that she was wearing. In addition she had a pair of what Asami had called sneakers though they didn't seem to make her footsteps any less noisy. "Thanks, Asami. Good to know I didn't pick a bad combination. Ready to go?"

"Yep. So mattress store first, then where?" Asami asked as she opened the passenger side door for Korra.

"Um, Kika gave me an address." Korra stated as she withdrew a folded up piece of paper from her pocket. She sat down in the car and Asami shut the door. "I don't know how to get there, though."

"Not a problem, Korra. Open up the glove box in front of you. There's a map in there, it's the big one." The compartment in question opened downwards, revealing a number of papers and a pair of leather gloves. Korra rummaged around before pulling out a thick bundle of paper and handing it to Asami. In seconds the other woman had unfolded it into a large sheet covered in a grid consisting of thousands of tiny lines interspersed with splotches of green and blue. "What's the address?"

"Uhh, here." Korra held the paper up where Asami could see it.

Asami peered at the address for a moment then turned back towards her map. One finger hovered over the paper as she scanned over it. "Okay, I think that road is... somewhere over here. There's the crossroad... All right I got it. We'll head there once we're done at the mattress store." Asami handed the map back to Korra, stuck her key into the ignition and turned it to start the engine.

Korra folded the paper in half lengthwise then tried to fold it in the opposite direction. The middle of the paper bent into a curve instead of folding neatly like it was supposed to. She unfolded it and tried the same folds, but in reverse order this time and once again the paper refused to yield. Korra frowned as she unfolded it a second time and she rotated the paper ninety degrees in her hand and tried for a third time to no avail. She growled under her breath and started swiveling the paper back and forth as she stared at it. "Stupid piece of crap."

"Keep folding it lengthwise, then fold it width wise." Asami suggested. "Those creases can be deceiving."

"Oh, there we go." Korra said as the paper folded properly this time and she stuffed it back into the glove box. "Let's go." She said while fastening her seat-belt.

Their first destination was a squat yellow building with the business's name painted in blocky black letters on the front above the door. "Mattress Depot." Korra read as she got out of the car. "Not a very clever name, but I guess it fits. Also is _every_ building in Republic City made out of concrete?"

"There's a lot of it, especially in the industrial areas. Concrete costs more upfront, but it's cheap when you consider how long the buildings will last." Asami shut her door and stuck her key in her pocket. "Do you not like concrete, Korra?"

"I haven't dealt with it personally, but there's some ruins from when the Fire Nation tried to build a fort in our territory. Didn't work since they didn't realize that they were building their fort on a field of ice." Korra shook her head as she brushed the memory of those shattered blocks off as she headed forward. "Come on, Asami."

A bell jingled as Korra pushed the door open and stepped inside. In front of her was a spacious room with a low ceiling held up by several stone pillars. There was an opening on one side leading into a second room, but it was unlit and dark enough that Korra couldn't make out any details. Between her and the second room were multiple rows of white rectangles, each resting on a wooden frame and bearing a wide strip of cloth at one end.

Sitting behind a folding table with a set of metal filing cabinets next to it was a man who had eaten a few too many sandwiches and not jogged enough kilometers. He looked up from the papers he was perusing at the sound of the bell and hopped up to his feet. "Good afternoon! Welcome to the Mattress Depot, I'm Akam. Is there anything I can…" Akam's voice trailed off as he approached his latest customers. "Hey wait a second. Aren't you that waterbender who just arrived? You are! You're Korra and you're Asami Sato! I never thought I'd get people from the frontpage coming in here!"

"Uh, yep... that's us." Korra said with a nervous laugh at the man's over the top excitement at recognizing them and his overly enthusiastic greeting. "So we're here to check out some mattresses. How does this work exactly?"

"Oh, right." Akam said as he regained some measure of his professionalism. "Not much to it really. Just take a gander around, lie down on a few mattresses and see which ones you like. If you have any questions then I'll be right over there." He pointed at the table where he had been sitting earlier before heading back towards it.

Korra slowly turned in a full circle as she looked at the sheer number of mattresses surrounding her in every direction. "Where do we start, Asami?"

"Anywhere you feel. Pick a mattress and lie down to see if it's comfortable. Now I sleep on my side so I favor softer mattresses. How do you sleep, Korra? Side, back or stomach?"

"On my back."

Asami took a couple of steps towards the nearest mattress as she examined a glossy piece of paper taped to the cloth strip. She moved away towards another mattress before turning around to look at the row behind her. "Okay, so the mattresses with a red or black strip are the firmest ones so let's try those out."

Korra threw a dubious glance at the nearest mattress with a black strip on it. "They sell these things after letting random people lie down on them? Don't they worry about them getting dirty?"

"These are just the show models, Korra, and these strips are for our feet." Asami explained as she sat down on the mattress before scooting backwards and lying down on her side. "The mattresses that people actually take home are in the stock room over there." She pointed at the opening that Korra had noticed earlier. "Anyways, come lie down." Asami patted a spot next to her, inviting Korra to join her on the mattress.

Korra crawled forward onto the bed before rolling over, making sure to to keep her sneakers on the strip of cloth fabric. The moment her back hit the mattress it began to yield beneath her weight and the ceiling seemed to recede before her eyes, getting further and further away as she sank ever deeper into the white material. Korra flinched and she bolted upright. "This one's no good either. I'm sinking here too..."

Asami turned her head and she called out across the room. "Excuse me Akam, do you have any mattresses that are firmer than this one?"

Akam jumped at the sound of his name and he hurried over from his desk towards the two women. He looked down at the information listed for the mattress they were lying on and shook his head. "This one is an eight, the firmest we keep in the store. There's nine and tens, but usually the only customers interested in those are people with back problems. They don't sell very well so we don't keep them in stock. You'd have to place an order for one."

"Hmm." Asami tapped a finger against her chin as she looked all around her at the store "Do you have any latex foam toppers?"

"We do. Would you like me to bring you one, Miss Sato?"

"Yes please. The firmest one you have available."

Akam scurried off towards a set of shelves on the back wall. On them was a collection of rolls, each of them dyed one of three different colors or a different thickness. He pulled out a green roll and carried it over to them. "Do you want to try it on this mattress or a different one?"

"This mattress is fine." Asami stated as she got off the mattress and gestured for Korra to do the same. Once the waterbender had vacated the mattress Akam unfurled the roll in his hand and laid the pad down, its length and width matching that of the mattress beneath.

"Normally a pad this firm goes underneath the mattress to help support it, but it can also work on top with a fitted sheet or you can buy some straps and tie it down."

"Thank you, Akam." Korra waited until he had returned to his desk before lying down again. The surface of the foam topper squished beneath her, but nowhere near as much as the mattress had. She kept still as she stared at the ceiling, waiting for that sinking feeling to come. A minute slowly passed and she exhaled and turned her head to look at her fiancée. "I'm not sinking into this like I was the mattresses. Can we get it?"

Asami pressed a finger into the foam pad and withdrew it, watching as the indentation rose upwards. "Are you sure? It seems too hard, but maybe that's just me."

"I grew up sleeping in blankets on a field of ice." Korra pointed out with a wry grin. "This isn't anywhere near as hard as that."

"Fair enough. Give me a second to go pay for this and we'll be on our way." Asami said as she reached inside her jacket. A sour look passed over Korra's features and Asami's hand came to a halt. "What is it?"

"You're buying me another thing and I can't do anything to repay the favor." Korra muttered sullenly. "I know you mean well, but it's still frustrating."

"Well, not until you're on the council and your salary kicks in. Once you have your own money then you'll be to spend it however you want. If you really want to pay me back for the things I've bought so far then you'll be able to."

Korra's face brightened at Asami's words, but the light in her eyes left just as quickly as it had come. "But how are we supposed to know how much I should give you? Do you remember how much you paid?"

"I have receipts, Korra, so I don't need to remember. I can just look at them to see how much I paid. I'll show you what they look like after I get one from Akam." Asami waited until Korra had stood up before making her way towards the man in question. "We'll take one of those foam toppers and a set of straps to tie it down please."

"Right away, Miss Sato. Will that be everything?"

"Yes."

As Akam hurried away towards the stock room Asami turned towards Korra. "So where are we going after this?"

"You'll see." Korra said with a dry grin on her face as she teased Asami.


	13. Chapter 13

"Republic City Botanical Gardens." Asami read as she drove beneath the metal sign curving above the entrance to the parking lot. She stepped on the brake and her head swiveled as she looked for a parking spot. " I've heard of this place." Asami said as she pulled in-between a pair of lines near the front of the lot. "Never been here though. How did you decide this was where you wanted to go?"

"I asked Kika where I could go to see plants from this part of the world and she gave me this address. If you've heard of it then I guess she made a good pick. What do you know about this place, Asami?"

"Not that much, I'm afraid. There was an article when this place opened a couple of years ago, but I don't remember most of the details. RCU founded it as part of their plant sciences program."

"RCU?" Korra echoed as she got out of the car. "What's that?"

"Republic City University. It's the oldest university in the United Republic." Asami explained as she joined Korra on the sidewalk. "It's also the biggest."

Korra took a few strides towards the entranceway to the gardens and waited until Asami had joined her before voicing another question. "Is that where you studied to become an engineer, Asami?"

"No. RCU is a good school, but it focuses more on the liberal arts. I went to a school that focuses more on the hard sciences and their application. The Republic City Institute of Technology, but people call it RC Tech."

"What did they teach you there? You told me that you designed the engine on your yacht, but honestly I'm not clear on what you actually do."

"I'm a mechanical engineer. It's a pretty broad discipline that involves a bunch of different fields. Advanced mathematics and physics, materials science, thermodynamics, fluid mechanics..." Asami's voice trailed off as Korra blinked and her eyes started to glaze over. "...Basically mechanical engineers design, build and maintain all kinds of machines. Most of us specialize in a particular area though. My specialty is engines, like the one on my yacht or the one in my car for example."

"What about your father? Is he an engineer too? He was working on a car when I met him."

"He is, but my dad has a different speciality than me. He focused more on the manufacturing side of things. His biggest achievement was streamlining the process of how cars are assembled. It's how he made his fortune. Anyways, we're not here to talk about him or engineering. Come on."

Asami smoothed out a crease in the collar of her jacket as she eyed the building in front of her as she and Korra approached it. She hadn't ever been here before, but the location was telling. A garden of this sort would need a lot of fresh water and just as importantly, a lot of space. Out here, away from the shoreline, land was as cheap as it got in Republic City and they were closer to the watershed that kept the city hydrated. Inside the building was a woman behind a counter with a cash register located in one corner and a second door on the far side of the room. Across the counter, in every available nook and cranny, were shirts and mugs all emblazoned with the name of the garden as well as clay pots and bags of seeds and various other knick knacks. The woman perked up as they came in. "Hello, are you here to see the gardens?"

"That's the plan." Korra replied.

"Just so you know we close in a little over an hour from now so you might not be able to see everything. If you came back on another day then you'd have more time for exploring." The clerk suggested.

Asami threw a questioning glance towards the waterbender at her side. Korra shrugged and tilted her head at the clerk. Asami reached into her jacket to retrieve her wallet and pulled a few colored bills out. "How much is it for two adults?"

"Five for each of you so that'll be ten yuan's please."

Asami handed one of the bills over. "No tax?"

"No, ma'am. Our goods are exempt from taxes because we're a part of RCU." The store attendant promptly answered as she reached beneath the counter. When her hand came back up there was a thin roll of loosely connected white strips in it. She ripped two of the strips off and held them out to Asami. "These are your passes and there are maps by the door to help you navigate the gardens. Enjoy your visit."

On her way out Korra grabbed a folded piece of paper from a clear plastic holder next to the second door. Once outside she unfolded it and scanned the colorful layout printed on the map. "So we're here... there's trees over here, a cafe there if you feel like... there they are." She stared at the paper a moment longer, committing the layout to memory before folding the map back up. "Okay, let's go."

Korra strode off down the brick walkway at a clip significantly faster than earlier. Asami blinked in surprise at the pace before hurrying after her. By the time she had caught up Korra had come to a halt in front of a short wooden fence. A thin and short tree with spindly branches covered in petals that were almost entirely fuchsia save for tinges of white all around their edges stood on the other side.

_'Oh I get why she wanted to come here now.'_

Asami glanced down at a metal plaque attached to the fence that displayed the name of the plant, plum blossoms, as well as a blurb describing its history embossed upon it. "Are there flowers like this in the south?"

"Not as beautiful as these." Korra said in the same hushed, almost reverent voice that she had used that day in the forest by Asami's estate. "All we got in the south pole is a bunch of moss and some grass. There's a couple of plants that grow flowers, but they aren't any larger than my fingernails." She gingerly pinched one of the thin branches between thumb and index finger, as if afraid of breaking it, and drew it down to her face and inhaled the scent. "They don't smell as wonderful as this either."

Korra let go of the branch and it sprang back into position, a few of the petals shaking loose off as it did so. Her eyes followed them to the ground before she turned away and headed for the next part of the exhibit. A pair of bushes similar in height and width stood adjacent to each other. Both had white petals as well. Korra looked back and forth between them with a confused frown on her face. "These are the same plant. Why are there two of them right next to each other?"

Asami leaned forward to look at the plaque by one bush before moving towards the plaque by the other. "Because they're not the same plant. They're just really similar. Take a look at the flowers." She raised her hand to point at the first plant. "That one is the white jade bush and this one here is the white dragon bush."

Korra stepped closer to the bush on the left and she gave the petals a second, longer look. Her head swiveled to the flowers on the other bush. "So white jade flowers are white and _orange_ while white dragon flowers are white and _red_. Is there any reason they look so similar?"

"I'm not sure to be honest, Korra. I've never been one for the outdoors. I'd rather be disassembling an engine or putting it back together. I do know that white jade is toxic, people who touch it usually end up getting a rash."

"A rash, huh? That's a shame, it's so pretty." Korra murmured with a lingering disappointed look as she headed down the path. The next plot had an extra component that the ones prior had been lacking. A wooden awning loomed overhead, hiding the plot beneath it from the sun. Down below, in the shade, were dozens of flowers bearing triangles colored like cream for petals. "Moon flowers. Most well known for wilting in the sun and blossoming in the shade." She read from the sign. "That's weird. I thought plants ate light or whatever."

Asami skimmed through the plaque before shrugging. "That's what I was taught more or less. Scientists still don't quite understand the mechanisms though. Maybe this plant gets overloaded if it gets too much sunlight or something like that. That's just a wild guess though. I honestly have no idea why."

"Well, a wild guess from you is better than anything I could come up with. I don't know much about plants either, let alone plants from this part of the world." Korra pointed out with a wry grin. "Anyways, let's go see what's next."

Down the path was a square box of glass panels, two meters to a side, held together with riveted metal strips. A metal cable ran up to the top of the box, plugging into a metal unit affixed to an interior corner. Covering the floor was a thick layer of coarse black soil and minuscule rocks. Growing out of the soil were several flowers with four petals tapering to a point and black stripes on either side of a white center. Korra leaned closer to the glass and tilted her head to the side to get a better viewing angle. "You know, this one kinda looks like you, Asami."

"It looks like me? How so?"

"The black parts are like your hair and the middle is white like your skin. Panda lily. A rare flower that is only found in the nutrient rich soil of volcanic rims. In the Earth Kingdom the panda lily is considered a symbol of love and the act of retrieving a panda lily for a person's crush is an ancient and dangerous tradition that has persisted throughout the centuries."

Korra straightened up after she finished reading the description on the plaque. A moment passed and she clapped one hand over her mouth as her eyes widened in horror. "I didn't-"

Asami chuckled and patted the waterbender on the shoulder. "It's all right, Korra. You couldn't have known what that flower symbolized and getting compared to that isn't the kind of thing that would bother me. If anything it's kinda flattering to get compared to a symbol of love. Anyways, there's plenty more to see and we still have time." Asami waved her hand to prompt Korra to move on and they started to walk.

"Where are we going to eat after we're done here?" Korra asked, as much to find out their next destination as it was to put what she had said previously behind her. 

"You'll see, Korra." Asami said with a mischievous grin mirroring the one Korra had given her earlier. "I think one surprise deserves another, wouldn't you agree?"

Korra's stride faltered before she laughed and shook her head. "Fair enough, Asami. Fair enough."


	14. Chapter 14

"The Golden Dragon." Korra read as she looked up at the front of the restaurant. Mounted above the door was the beast in question, wrought from brass that gleamed bright even in the setting sun. Its head pointed downwards so that anyone coming or going through the door had to pass beneath the gaze of its red eyes. "So what kind of food are we going to get here? I wouldn't say no to some more sausages like what we had on your ship."

Asami pulled the door open and held it for Korra. "I don't want to ruin the surprise so I'll just say this place serves a variety of foods."

Korra pursed her lips as she gave the dragon sculpture a second look before heading into the restaurant. A woman dressed in a black shirt and pants was standing behind a wooden podium. "Good evening ladies and welcome to the Golden Dragon. My name is Pelo. Is it just the two of you tonight?"

"Yes. Is there any chance we could get a private room or booth, Pelo? Korra and I would prefer to keep our privacy tonight."

Pelo's eyes flitted over to Korra and she picked up a pair of menus from inside the podium. "Of course. The private rooms are taken, but several of our couples booths are available. If you'll follow me." She headed to her left past a row of booths with wide black leather seats facing each other across gray marble tables full of striations. At the end of the line were yet more identical booths save for the addition of purple curtains that could be pulled shut. Pelo waited until Korra and Asami had seated themselves before setting the menus down in front of them. "Have either of you dined here before?"

"I have." Asami answered with a smile. "I was actually hoping to explain this restaurant to Korra myself if you don't mind."

"Okay, great. Can I get either of you anything to drink?"

"Just some water for now, thank you." Asami answered. Pelo stepped back and drew the curtain shut. The booth grew darker, the only source of illumination being a wall-fixed lamp emitting warm yellow-orange light. Asami rested her hands on the menu in front of her as she turned her attention to Korra. "So this here-" She pointed at a black panel with a small light bulb and round dial in one corner located in the middle of the table. "-is a burner that heats things up. In this case that thing would be a fondue pot."

"Fondue?" Korra glanced down at the burner then back up at Asami, one of her eyebrows arching into a curve. "I don't know what that is."

"I'm not sure where the hot pot was first invented. Some people say it's Fire Nation, others think it came from the Earth Kingdom. Either way the idea is that you heat up broth in a pot and use it to cook your food. A few years ago a chef from Republic City had the idea of using something other than water in a hot pot. They played around with the idea and eventually came up with several different recipes that worked, called it fondue and opened the Golden Dragon."

"Huh. That's definitely not what I was expecting." Korra murmured. "What kind of liquids did this chef come up with?"

A knocking came from the edge of Korra's seat. "May I open the curtain?"

Korra glanced towards the voice to see the shadow of a figure looming on the curtain separating them from the rest of the restaurant. She pulled the edge back enough to see an unfamiliar woman with brown hair and a polite smile that seemed to have been on her face for so long that it had frozen in place. She was wearing the same black outfit as Pelo and she held a tray with two glasses of water in one hand. "Go ahead."

The woman pulled the curtain back and set the glasses down, one in front of each of them. "Hello, I'm Rini and I'll be your server tonight." She pulled out a notepad and pen from a pocket of the apron tied around her waist. "Have you had a chance to look over the menu yet?"

Asami slid her unopened menu towards Rini. "No, not yet. Could we have a couple of minutes?"

"Sure! I'll be back in a bit." Rini put her notepad away and stepped back before closing the curtain.

"So I was thinking we should get their three-course meal. That lets us pick one of each cooking style. Well, it lets you pick one of each style, Korra. I'm fine with whatever you want to get."

Korra grabbed her menu off the table and opened it up. "Three-course meal." She murmured while scanning through the text printed on it. After a few seconds she paused. "Okay there it is. Uhhh I'm not sure how to say this word. Coke aw vin?"

"Coq au vin." Asami gently corrected her pronunciation. "It basically means something cooked in wine."

"Coq Au Vin. Coq. Au. Vin. " Korra murmured to herself as she committed the words to memory. "Okay, so this says I pick one of each cooking style. Well I don't know what half these words are referring to so would you mind naming all these pieces of food me for me, Asami?"

"Of course."

Korra looked at the menu a few moments longer before setting it down and pulling the curtain open. She stuck her head out and looked in one direction then another for their server. "Where is she?"

"She'll be back in a bit. We're not the only table Rini is waiting on. Once it's our turn Rini will take our order."

"I guess so... but I hate waiting." Korra grumbled as she slumped in the booth. "So you seem to know a lot about this place. Do you come here often?"

"I suppose." Asami shrugged and picked up her glass to take a drink before elaborating further. "This has been one of my favorite restaurants ever since it opened. I've come by every couple of months for about the last..." Asami hand paused in the middle of setting her glass down and she gave a small smile while bemusedly shaking her head. "I guess it's been a decade now hasn't it?"

Korra frowned and shifted uncomfortably, but said nothing. A moment later and Rini returned. "All right. "Have you decided what you want to order?"

"Yes, we want to do the three course meal." Korra said as she picked her menu back up. "We'll have the milk chocolate and peanut butter, the aged cheddar and the spice infused wine."

"All right, do you want anything to drink? We have a selection of wines and spirits if you're interested."

"No thank you." Asami stated. "Water is just fine for us."

"Okay, I'll be back with your coq au vin."

Rini grabbed the menu off the table before holding out her hand for the menu Korra was holding. After the waterbender handed it over, Rini headed off towards the front of the restaurant. In the meantime Korra gave Asami a questioning, and slightly annoyed, look. "Why did you say that? I wanted to try one of these spirits that the menu mentions. The coconut daiquiri sounded tasty."

Asami froze stiff before sharply inhaling and holding her breath for a moment. "Can I ask you a question, Korra? How much do you know about alcohol?"

"Uhh... it's a disinfectant you can use on wounds or weapons." A puzzled Korra responded. "We didn't have any way of making our own in the south, but sometimes we'd... 'acquire' some from Fire Nation raiding parties... why do you ask?"

"Well, spirits are drinks with alcohol in them." Asami explained.

Korra's eyes widened as her mouth worked silently as she tried to process that tidbit. After a moment she managed to gather herself enough to begin sputtering. "I-you-what? People put _alcohol_ in their drinks? Alcohol is what you used to clean out wounds so they don't get infected. Why would someone want to drink that stuff!?"

Asami glanced up towards the ceiling before answering. "It can make people feel good. After you've had a couple of drinks you start getting looser and less inhibited. People going to parties like to drink for that reason. Others like the taste. It's not a magic elixir though. If you drink too much alcohol then you can start vomiting or pass out. Heavy drinking also leads to a massive headache the next day which is why I don't drink. Hangovers are no fun." Asami's cheeks colored and she looked at the table as if suddenly fascinated by the lines in it.

Korra pursed her lips. She could sense a story behind Asami's words, but her fiancée's body language was all but screaming discomfort so she decided to drop it and the conversation lapsed into silence. Korra wiped away a bead of condensation from her glass before picking it up for a drink. By the time she set it back down Rini had reappeared, a tray in her hands. Laden upon it was a copper pot covered in the marks of the hammer that had shaped it, forks, a pair of small plates, several small bowls full of meat and two sets of metal skewers wrapped in napkins. She set the tray down and began placing the bowls and skewers in front of them. Rini set the pot on the burner, turned the dial, then placed two stiff pieces of paper in front of each of them.

"So these are the recommended cooking times for each type of meat in front of you. Since you cook your own food the Golden Dragon is not responsible for any food-borne illnesses resulting from the consumption of raw or under-cooked food. The light-bulb there will turn green once it hits the specified temperature so you can start cooking. When you've finished this course, flag me down and I'll bring you the next one."

"Thank you, Rini." Asami said as she started to unwrap the skewers on her side of the table.

Rini shut the curtain and headed off once again. Korra pulled one of the skewers out of her napkin and held it up in the air as she looked at it then at the ones Asami had. "How are we supposed to tell these apart? They look exactly the same."

"Look at the ends, Korra. Mine have blue ends and yours have red ends." Asami turned the skewer in her hand to show off a blue cap attached to the base.

"Ah, that makes sense." Korra twisted her hand to look at the bottom of her skewer. "Actually you know what? We should switch since your favorite color is red." She picked up the other three red skewers and held them out towards Asami.

"Oh, well thank you, Korra. That's very nice of you." Asami took the skewers Korra was proffering in her left hand while handing over the blue skewers with her right. "Well, let's get started then." She pointed at one of the bowls with her red skewer. "So this is garlic sirloin. That's meat from a cow." Asami pointed at the others in turn as she continued. "This one is shrimp, pork from a pig, and last we have some chicken breast in this bowl."

Once the light turned green Korra stabbed a dark red cube covered in small specks with one of her skewers. The roiling liquid in the pot hissed as the piece of meat dipped below the surface. "You know I think this is the first time I've ever cooked something." Korra mused as watched Asami stick some of her own beef into the pot. "This is actually pretty fun."

"Glad to hear it." A relieved smile crossed Asami's face as she spoke and she leaned back against her seat. "I don't know what kind of foods you like so I wasn't sure whether this would appeal to you or not."

"Are you kidding?" Korra exclaimed in disbelief as she retrieved her piece of sirloin. "Literally everything I've eaten since meeting you has tasted better than the things I ate in the south pole. Kelp and frozen liver is _nothing_ compared to this." She rapped her skewer on the rim of the pot to knock the excess oil off before putting the point in her mouth and biting the meat off.

"What are you doing, Korra?" An aghast Asami half rose out of her seat, one hand reaching towards the waterbender. "Your skewers are just for cooking. You're not supposed to _eat _off them."

"I'm not?" Korra said, her mouth still half full. She looked down at her side of the table while swallowing. "Oh, that's what these forks are for." Korra grabbed the fork and scraped the remaining portion of her sirloin off the skewer. "Is it still okay to use this after I just ate off it?"

Asami eyed the skewer in question with a wary look. "I know the oil _is _hot enough to sterilize the skewer, logically speaking, but it'd still make me queasy if you used that one again. I'd appreciate it if you didn't."

Korra set the skewer in question aside and stabbed the meat with her fork. She moaned in bliss after it went down. "This is soooo good!"

A smile creased Asami's face as she watched Korra's reaction and she retrieved the piece she was cooking. "Right? I've always loved the garlic rub they use here. Let me know what you think of the other kinds."

Korra grabbed her remaining three skewers and pierced a piece of the three types of meat that she hadn't tried yet. After she had finished cooking and eating them Korra drummed her fingers. "The sirloin is definitely the best, then pork and chicken. I didn't like the shrimp as much."

"That's not surprising. Seafood is tricky. It's good when done right, but it's really easy to mess up." Asami said as she placed her skewers back into the pot. "If you want I can ask the chefs to pick up some lobster or crab, maybe mussels and clams for you to try."

"That'd be great. I want to try as many new foods as I can. Let's finish this quickly so we can get to the next pot. I'm curious about this cheese fondue."

Once Rini had bussed away the skewers and dishes they had already used, she returned with identical sets save for their contents. The fondue pot held a yellow liquid inside of it and the bowls all contained a different kind of bread. Asami glanced at them for a moment then up at Rini. "What kind of breads are these? It's been a while since I've gotten this kind of cheese fondue so I don't remember."

"Not a problem." Rini's finger moved from one bowl to the next as she spoke. "Right now our bread selection with the aged cheddar fondue is white, whole wheat, rye and cornbread. Just so you know, this is only a dipping sauce so you don't have to wait for your food to cook like you did with your previous fondue." The waitress turned the dial to a lower setting before glancing at their glasses. Both were close to empty. "Would you like a pitcher of water?"

"Yes please. That would be great." Asami answered.

The dial turned green as Rini returned and set the pitcher down before closing the curtain yet again. Korra grabbed one of the new skewers and got herself a piece of the rye bread. She popped it into her mouth and immediately let out a quiet murmur of appreciation as the sharp tasting liquid coated her taste-buds. "This is really good too. It's... I'm not sure what the right word is. How would you describe this? And the meat?"

"I'd say this is tangy." Asami said after she took a bite of the cheddar soaked bread to see for herself. "As for the meat, I'd say that was savory, maybe juicy as well... and we haven't gotten there yet, but the chocolate fondue is going to be sweet."

"Okay. What's the differences between all these pieces of bread, Asami? Is it how long they were cooked?"

"That can be part of it, but mostly it's the kind of grain used to make the bread. Wheat, rye and corn are all different plants. I'd say the rye is more sour though most, if not all, of what we're tasting right now is the cheddar." Asami stated as she dipped her bread into the cheese before setting it down on her plate.

Korra grunted in acknowledgment as she continued to eat. A few short minutes later and their pieces of bread were rubbing against the bottom of the pot in order to soak up the remaining dregs. After she finished off her last piece Korra pulled the curtain open to look around. Rini was standing a short distance away, a tray in her hands as she tended to another table. Her eyes briefly made contact with Korra's and a few minutes after that the last pot and accompanying food and cutlery was in front of them. "So I've had those before. Apples right?" She waited for Asami's affirmative response before glancing at the other three bowls. "What are the rest of these?"

"Strawberries, broccoli and cauliflower."

Once the bulb turned green Korra stabbed one of the red fruits covered in minuscule pits and dipped it into the dark liquid. Once it was on her fork she held it up in front of her face, rotating it before taking a small, tentative bite. Her brows rose up as far as they could and a second later she had shoved the whole fruit into her mouth. "This is the best thing I've ever tasted" Korra moaned once she had swallowed it down. "Where has chocolate been my entire life!?"

Asami giggled as Korra hurried to grab her other skewers and stab more of her fruits and vegetables, frantic for more. "And that's why I brought you here. I was curious how you'd react after tasting chocolate for the first time."

"Huh." Korra grunted as she chewed through a fibrous stalk of broccoli. Once she was finished she cleared her throat. "Well, I'm glad you did. This stuff is amazing and I want more of it. Can you have your chefs make this for us at home?"

Asami tapped her chin. "I suppose it's possible, but it'd be easier to just buy some. I'll make sure the kitchen staff gets some on their next shopping run."

"Thank you, Asami." Korra said, a wave of gratitude rushing through her. She turned her attention back to her meal, eager for more. After they had run out of food to dip Asami turned the dial to shut the burner off then opened the curtain the final time. A few moments later and Rini popped up to carry their dishes away and leave a black book with the bill and a pen in it.

Asami skimmed through it before leaving a couple of bills in it and jotting something on the bill before standing up and heading for the exit. Once out of the warm restaurant and in the damp evening air she shivered and hugged her arms to her sides. "It's chilly out here." She muttered.

"Hey, Asami." Korra said as she tapped on the dark haired woman's shoulder and Asami turned to face her. "I wanted to say this was a really fun trip today. You went above and beyond today." She took a step closer and slid her arms around the other woman while resting her head against one shoulder. "Thank you."

Asami's hands wavered for a few seconds before they rose up from her sides to Korra's shoulder blades as she returned the embrace. "You're welcome, Korra. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

Korra let go after a moment and she stepped away. She raised her arms up into the air as she stretched the muscles in her back. Her head dipped towards one shoulder as she rubbed at her neck and Korra looked upwards at the sky. She froze in position for an instant before turning around to look the other direction with a frown. "Where are the stars?"

"The stars?" Asami repeated as she looked up past the buildings and towers looming around them in every direction. "They're right... oh I see what's confusing you. It's the light pollution from being in the city."

"The what?"

"Light pollution. There's millions of light bulbs in Republic City shining up into the sky. All those beams of light 'drown' out the stars so to speak so they're much less visible." Asami explained.

Korra stared up for a moment longer before turning away. "That's too bad. I always loved watching the stars at night when I was growing up. Let's go."

Asami lingered as she gave the sky another considering look before heading towards the vehicle, a small smile on her lips appearing for a brief moment. It had been a good day.


	15. Chapter 15

Authors Note: Content Warning - PTSD.

* * *

Asami raised her hand and tapped her knuckles against the door to Korra's room twice. After a moment the door opened and the room's denizen was standing there. She blinked, more than once as she took in the slinky red dress, bare shoulders and all, Asami was wearing then looked down at the black and baggy cotton nightshirt and pants she was wearing. "You look really... nice, Asami. Is something going on that I don't know about?"

"I'd say so, Korra." Asami clasped her hands in front of her as she spoke in a brisk, business like tone. "The gala is in a few days which means we have some things that we need to work on to prepare for it. Right now the chefs are working on breakfast and it'll be delivered to my room once it's finished." She started to walk away then stopped and turned back. "Also, please wear the dinner suit that Liying made for you since it's what you'll be wearing at the gala."

As she strode off Asami heard the door shut behind her. '_Can you handle me bossing you around for this, Korra? You've adapted well to Republic City so far, but this is a new kind of challenge and I don't have nearly enough time to prepare you for everything that being part of the council entails.' _She let out a sigh and took a deep breath. _'I just have to do what I can and hope for the best.'_

Once she got back to her room Asami drifted towards the square windows on the far wall. Outside dark heavy clouds loomed overhead, shadowing the mansion and likely much of the city in their gray shadow. _'Storm's coming in faster than the radio was predicting. Good thing I don't have anywhere to be. Wouldn't be surprised if the road into town gets flooded judging from those clouds.'_

As she stood there drops of water began to strike the window, quickly growing in number. A knock came from the door several minutes later and Asami turned towards it. Behind her countless droplets left streaks in their wake on the window as gravity pulled them to the ground. "Come in, Korra. It's open." Korra stepped inside, clad in the black suit and white dress shirt like Asami had requested, and closed the door behind her. Asami moved to stand in front of the waterbender, her eye critically examining the outfit. The sleeves were just long enough to reach Korra's wrist bone and the pant legs similarly were brushing against her ankle bone. Her shirt had been adjusted to fit her chest properly and it extended down far enough to fit into her pants.

"That all looks right to me. Liying did a good job as always." Asami remarked before her attention made its way to Korra's neck. "This, on the other hand..." She grabbed both ends of Korra's bow tie, undoing the tangled knot and deftly weaving it back together and pulling it shut. "There we go, that's how it's supposed to look."

Korra poked at the bow-tie as she glowered in its general direction. "This thing is a pain in the butt. Putting everything else on was easy, but I couldn't get this bow-tie to look like the picture Liying included with the suit. So what exactly are we working on? This gala is just a party. What about that requires me to work on things?"

"It's not just a party, Korra. It's a social gathering of the richest and most powerful people in Republic City. The etiquette for this kind of event is complicated with a lot of different elements to it. You'll be given a certain leeway when it comes to making gaffes since you're a foreigner, but that'll only go so far. If you make too many mistakes it'll reflect negatively not just on you, but on me and my father and your people as well."

"Okay, okay." Korra put her hands up in front of her, palms facing out to stave off the barrage of words. "You've made your point. What do I need to learn?" She asked with a sigh.

"Don't worry. We're going to start with something fun." Asami walked to a credenza filled with thin paper sleeves in its cubbyholes. On its surface was a short rectangular box with a wooden arm equipped with a metal needle at its end. She selected one of the sleeves and retrieved a black disc from inside of it, placed it on the box and hit a switch. The deep and rich sound of a bow being drawn across a cello began to play as Asami moved towards Korra. "Dancing."

Korra started when the music began to play and her head swiveled towards the record player as more instruments began to join in. Bassoon, basset horn, then an oboe sounding a higher note than the rest. Her gaze returned to Asami then flipped back and forth between her and the source of the music. "Dancing? I've never really been much for dancing." She said, more than a touch of uneasiness in her voice.

"No worries, I'm just going to show you a basic dance, the waltz." Asami pivoted so that she was standing side by side with Korra. She grabbed the folds of her dress and hiked them up so that her short heels were visible as she demonstrated the steps. "So I'll be leading so you only have to learn one pattern. Step back with your right foot, move your left back and to the left, bring your right foot next to your left, step forward with your left, step forward and to the side with your right then bring your left foot next to your right."

Korra pursed her lips as she started to imitate the pattern of steps before she faltered halfway through. "Show me again... okay so I start with my right foot, but then I switch sides..." She re-positioned her feet next to each other and started over. This time she got through the entire pattern, though her movements were nowhere near as fluid as Asami's had been.

"Okay, good. Now we do this together." Asami moved to stand in front of Korra, within arms length. She held her left hand up in the air above shoulder height and her right floated by her rib cage. "So take this hand with your right, " Asami wiggled her left hand ", and put your left hand on my shoulder."

The waterbender took a step closer and her fingers slid between Asami's while her other hand settled onto a bare shoulder. "Like this?"

Asami settled her free hand onto Korra's waist and a tingle shot from her fingers towards her shoulders. "Yes, like that. Now one-" Her left foot moved forward, landing on Korra's. The other woman winced and jerked her foot away.

"Little warning, Asami?"

"That's why I'm counting the steps out, so you know when to move. Let's try again. One." Her left foot moved forward again and this time Korra's right moved back at the same moment. "Two." Both women moved their opposite foot diagonally. "Three." Their feet came back together. "Now we switch sides like you were saying. One, two, three. One, two, three. One, two, three. Good, Korra, very good."

Asami stopped counting aloud as they finished their second time through the steps. A wide smile spread on Korra's face as they continued to move, each step a little faster than the one before and her timing drawing closer to matching Asami's.

_'I don't think it's occurred to me how pretty that smile is or how beautiful her eyes are... how beautiful she is. I wonder what she would do if I kissed her right now... Wait, what? Where did that come from? Sure, her body is amazing, the parts of it I've seen anyways, but that's just... our marriage is political... Am I starting to fall for her or do I just want her to take my pants off?… Maybe I should move on to something else before I get myself into trouble and think about this later.'_

Asami let go of Korra's hand and backed away from the other woman. "Okay, I think you've got enough of a grasp on that for now. Let's move on to another topic. Dinner etiquette." She went to the door and opened it wide enough for the person on the other side, Kika, to push a cart through.

Kika wheeled the cart over to the table and began unloading its contents. A plate with a napkin folded on top of it sat in front of Korra. To its left lay two forks with tines of separate lengths, to the right were two glasses as well as two spoons and a knife. Additionally an identical set of utensils and glassware had been placed next to it. Asami took a seat in front of the second and gestured for Korra to do the same. Once she was seated Asami gestured at Kika's handiwork thus far. "So this is reasonably typical of what you'd expect to see at a high end dinner. Salad fork, meat fork, dinner knife, teaspoon, soup spoon, water glass, wine glass."

Korra picked up the two forks, one in each hand, and looked back and forth between them, consternation written on her face. "Why would you have two forks? They both do the same thing."

"The main reason is you only use each utensil once at this kind of dinner. A good rule of thumb is to start on the outside and work your way inwards as the courses come out. Another is that utensils are made for different kinds of food. Take the forks you're holding. The difference between them is the tines. A salad fork has wider tines to help it cut vegetables. A meat fork has longer and thinner tines to help it stab better."

By the time Asami had finished her explanation Kika had set a clear crystal glass pitcher full of water onto the table. Next to it were a pair of dark green salads, two bowls full of the same yellow soup and cuts of meat with similar t-shaped bones in each of them. Lastly Korra and Asami both had a cup full of steaming hot liquid sitting atop a saucer in front of them. "So this is-"

A flash from the storm brightened the room for a split second before vanishing and Asami's sentence was cut off as a deafening clash of rumbles filled the air. Seconds later a second flicker and subsequent boom came, as bright and resounding as their predecessors had been. Asami's head turned towards the window before she glanced at the table in front of her and promptly froze.

The water in the pitcher was moving despite the fact none of the three women had a hand on the container. It flowed up towards the rim in one direction before dropping down and climbing the opposite side. Asami shifted and turned in her seat. "What are you doing... Korra?"

All the blood seemed to have drained out of Korra's face and her eyes were showing more white than iris as she stared towards the window. Korra shoved her chair backwards and she dropped to the floor and lunged beneath the table. Asami straightened up in surprise and she glanced towards Kika. The maid had frozen in position, one hand on the cart, as she stared at the spot where Korra had just been sitting, her mouth reflecting the same bewilderment running through Asami's head. Asami rose from her chair and she crouched down to peek beneath the table. Korra was sitting on the ground, arms wrapped around her knees as she rocked back and forth and mumbled to herself. "Don't let him find me, don't let him find me, don't let him find me."

"Korra? Are you alright?" Asami asked as she reached for Korra's ankle. The second her fingers came into contact the waterbenders eyes shot open and she let out a bloodcurdling scream that sent a chill down Asami's spine. Korra jerked her foot away and she half-crawled, half-ran out from beneath the table towards the open bathroom door in the opposite direction from Asami.

Asami stared after her fiancée, her brow furrowed. _'Think, Asami. She was fine until... until... until the lightning.' _Asami turned to look out the rain splattered window at the thunderstorm raging outside and all the pieces clicked together in an instant as quick as the burst that had set Korra off. The suspicion and hostility, the random bursts of anger, Korra being extraordinarily quick to wake and her trouble with mattresses. It all fit and explained what had happened on the yacht back in the South Pole as well. Korra had initially been indifferent to Mako when he had first appeared. Her attempt to kill him had only come about after the man had conjured a bolt of lightning from his fingers, one very much like the flashes in the sky now though smaller in scale.

"Soldier's heart." She murmured to herself as she rose to her feet. It wasn't something Asami had ever encountered herself. Even so there were enough reports of this condition among soldiers who had fought in the east for her to recognize all the symptoms. "Kika, close all the blinds."

Her maidservant hurried towards the windows, drawing the drapes shut one after the other. Once she had finished Asami waved her back over and she straightened all the way up so that she was looking down at Kika. "I know you love to gossip, Kika and normally I don't mind. Today is the exception. If I find out you told _anyone_ about this then I will be _very_ put out and so will you."

"Of course, Miss Sato." Kika flinched at the sudden and very atypical harshness in her employer's voice. "There'll be nary a peep out of me."

"Good, come back... later once I've settled this."

Kika curtsied and fled the room without so much as a single backwards glance.

Asami sighed as she looked at the drapes covering the windows. That would stop much of the light from outside, but not all of it.

Korra was sitting on the bathroom floor, her arms hugging her knees as she rocked back and forth just like before. Asami glanced towards the sink and then the shower, both were dry, before entering all the way into the room. She closed the door behind her then knelt on the floor, heedless of what it might do to her dress. "Korra? It's me, Asami. Can you hear me?"

"Don't let him find me. Don't let him find me. Don't let him find me."

"There's no one here but us, Korra." She inched a little closer, her movement painstakingly slow. The sinks might be dry, but Korra was still an exceptionally strong woman and Asami hadn't the slightest idea what to except from her right now. If Korra lashed out with fist or foot it would be painful at best and potentially bone-breaking for either one of them. "We're all alone, just you and me. He's not here. He's never been here and he'll never find you and even if he does I'll protect you, Korra. I swear I won't let him hurt you."

Korra's rocking slowed and after a painfully long minute her eyes opened and she looked around at her surroundings. "What? Where am I?"

"You're in my bathroom, Korra. We're in my home, in Republic City."

Korra's gaze blearily focused on Asami, as if gazing at something from across a great distance. "A-Asami? This isn't... no... of course it isn't... that was..." She shook her head violently. "I'm not there. I'm here. This is now."

Korra "I shouldn't be alone. Not right after one of these. Will you stay with me?"

_'This isn't the first time?'_

"Of course I will." Asami scooted forward and put her arms around Korra, drawing the other woman's head to her shoulder and squeezing her tightly. Korra stiffened for a moment before she returned the gesture. Small tears began to well up in the corner of Asami's eyes and she started to rub Korra's back with one hand. "I'll stay with you for as long as you want."

_'And then I swear I'll get someone who can do a better job helping you with this than me.'_


	16. Chapter 16

"Forty-seven... forty-eight... forty-nine-" Korra pushed herself up onto her hands and toes one last time before rocking back onto her knees. "Fifty."

She pushed herself up to her feet before dashing forward across the gym floor in a headlong sprint. As she neared the far side of the room Korra turned and her feet skidded on the wooden floor before she came to a halt. Korra pushed her hands against the wall then spun and hurtled herself forwards. When she reached the opposite wall Korra turned and dashed again then again and again, each dash as fast she could manage in the enclosed space. After half a dozen such more sprints Korra came to a halt and she leaned forward, placing her hands on her hips as she took several deep breaths.

Korra moved to the heavy punching bag, a thick round cylinder held aloft by by metal chains. She bent over, grabbing a pair of shin guards that had been lying on the floor, and fastened them to her legs. Next to them sat a pair of leather gloves with an extra thick layer of padding surrounding her thumb and fingers. She tugged them onto one hand then the other, not bothering to lace them up before throwing her first punch, a short hook. The leather surface dented as her blow landed and it swayed to the left. She hammered it with another hook then another, each strike harder than its predecessor before stepping back and slamming her shin into it. The bag lurched back and forth at first, but began to swing as she continued to batter it, the sound of every impact echoing off the walls. Korra growled under her breath as she chased after it, refusing to let it escape so easily.

"You know, I think the people on the other side of the mansion can hear you hitting that thing, Korra. I'll consider myself lucky that you didn't ask me to hold pads for you since I'm pretty sure they wouldn't protect me given how hard you're hitting." Asami was at the entrance to the room, leaning against the door-frame as she watched Korra.

Korra raised one hand to stop the bag from swinging into her. "You're back from the city already? I thought you were going to be gone for a while."

"So did I." Asami said with a shrug as she walked towards Korra. "It didn't take nearly as long as I was expecting."

"Where did you go? You didn't say anything and it seemed like you were in a hurry." Korra pulled her hand away from the bag and it swayed a few centimeters, nowhere near enough for her to worry about it bumping into her.

"I went to RCU to speak with someone there. A psychologist."

"A what?" Korra frowned at Asami. "What the heck is a psychologist?"

"Psychologists are scientists who study the mind and its-"

"The _mind_?" Korra repeated, her face contorting. "This is about what happened this morning, isn't it!?" She grabbed at one of the gloves then the other, yanking them off and hurling them at the floor. "You think you need someone to poke around in my head to see if I'm crazy!?" Her voice rose to a fever pitch as she spoke and her fingers started to twitch and curl into claws. Korra took one step forward then another and her eyes narrowed as she glared at Asami.

As Korra drew nearer Asami began to back up, her hands held up in front of her with their palms facing outwards. "I don't think you're crazy, Korra. You just have things that you need to work on. I'd help you with this if I could, but I'm not remotely qualified so I had to find someone who was."

"Of course you did! Because that's what you do, isn't it? Hey everyone, look it's Asami Sato, the person who has to fix every problem she sees even though nobody asked her to. Isn't she just _so_ _wonderful_!?"

A scowl darkened Asami's face. "That wasn't called for. If you feel like apologizing then you know where to find me."

Korra made a rude gesture towards the doorway after Asami had left before heading back over to the heavy bag. She balled her hand into a fist and struck it.

"Is this how you channel the rage and aggression? By hitting things?"

As her knuckles made contact, Korra's head turned towards the unfamiliar voice, and they remained in place against the leather surface. Standing in nearly the same spot that Asami had been was a woman wearing a plain black turtleneck sweater and gray slacks. She was short and slender with black hair bound up in a long ponytail. Glasses with a thin black metal frame rested on her heart shaped face and beneath them was a pair of piercing blue eyes. "Why don't you come over here and find out!?" Korra snarled.

The woman chuckled and she walked forward, her heels clicking against the wooden floor. Once she was within arms reach of the waterbender she came to a halt and looked up. She was a head shorter than Korra and lacking the muscles possessed by the waterbender. "I'll take you up on half of that. As for the rest, there would be no point. You're clearly far stronger and much more adept at combat than I am. As such I am incapable of defending myself against you in a physical confrontation should you wish me harm. What skills I do possess are of an academic nature."

Korra straightened up, taken aback by the woman's candor and bluntness. Not everyone in the Southern Water Tribe was a warrior. There were other roles needed for their survival that didn't involve fighting. Despite that every member of their tribe was trained in combat to the point that they were capable of protecting themselves from the wild beasts that stalked the plains in search of prey. Now here she was, face to face with a woman who had professed not only to be helpless in such matters, but almost seemed _proud_ of said helplessness. "You're the psychologist Asami was talking about."

"I am, but you may call me Ralla." She said with a shallow bow that made Korra retreat a step to avoid getting hit. "So, this is how you channel the rage and aggression?" Ralla asked again as she cast her gaze towards the punching bag.

"It's the best way I've found. It's not safe for me to spar with other people after... " Korra rubbed at the back of her neck as she glanced away from Ralla. "I have trouble pulling my punches."

Ralla headed over to the punching bag and positioned herself on the side opposite from Korra as she stepped out of her heels. She wrapped her arms around it and grabbed onto the base. "Then by all means, punch away."

Korra raised an eyebrow, but Ralla didn't move. She shook her head, incredulous as she retrieved the gloves and pulled them back on. "All right, you asked for it."

Her right hand slammed into the bag and Ralla bounced backwards, the sheer force of the blow displacing her a few centimeters. Ralla moved one foot back to brace herself while putting her shoulder against the bag just in time for Korra's second hit. It jolted her, but she remained in place this time. As Korra continued to throw, the simmering anger and frustration that had been lurking beneath the surface began to boil over. It spilled outwards, permeating everywhere through her save for her fists, the only exit points available. Korra began to huff as her punches grew faster and lighter until she was flailing away, all semblance of form forgotten and the only thing that mattered was continuing to hit the bag. She slammed her fist into the bag one last time before her hands dropped to her side. The muscles in her arms and shoulder were burning and her shoulders heaved as she panted.

Korra pulled the gloves off and dropped them to the floor with limp fingers. She staggered backwards and managed a less than graceful descent to sitting on her rear end, knees bent in front of her. "Why are you here? I can't imagine you came just so you could tell me to hit things."

Ralla chuckled at that and she lowered herself to the ground in front of Korra. "I did not, but hitting things isn't necessarily bad, so long as you're hitting the _right _things. A punching bag happens to be a fantastic choice in that regard since that's what they're made for. As for your question, the answer is that I was curious about you."

"You were?" Korra asked in surprise before she sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Right. That stupid article again."

"Not in this particular case. I don't read the RC Times. Their writers are garbage and the things they print are drivel." Ralla said, her voice dripping with scorn. "I will admit to seeing your picture on my way to work however. This may sound hard to believe, but I had heard of you before that article was published."

"Huh?" Korra tilted her head to the side in bewilderment. "What do you mean you had heard of me before? That article came out less than a day after I got here."

"Miss Sato told you that I am a psychologist which means I study the mind. What she did not say was that my focus is on how the mind is affected by war. The life of a soldier is brutal. They do terrible things to others and see equally terrible things done to them or their comrades. Then, if they survive, they go home and find themselves in a world that doesn't understand what they've gone through. All they see are the symptoms. Anger, anxiety, trouble sleeping, nightmares, flashbacks, paranoia, fear. It's what the lay-person calls soldier's heart, but it has nothing to do with that particular organ. It's the mind trying to cope with the horrors it's experienced."

There was no malice or anger in Ralla's voice, but Korra couldn't help but flinch as she listed off the symptoms. All of them were things she had experienced at one point or another and most of those in the last several hours since this morning. "That doesn't answer my question." Korra pointed out.

"The Fire Nation's war against the other nations have never been popular here and only a handful of people were willing to fight in them. Even so, she still demanded soldiers and we had to provide them so a draft lottery was created. Most of those unfortunate enough to be selected were sent to the east to fight the Earth Kingdom or Air Nomads. However some of them went north and a few went south. One of my other patients happened to be part of that last group. They were assigned to a patrol whose task was to scout ahead of the main force. However they were discovered and the patrol wiped out save for my client. The only reason they survived was because they had been off relieving themselves. They saw the aftermath however, as well as the person responsible. A powerfully built waterbender with her hair bound up in tubes."

There was only one person in the Southern Watertribe that fit that description Korra realized. Her. Ralla was talking about her. Whatever this client was going through was a result of something _she_ had done. "Why are you telling me this?"

"Because I want you to understand that I haven't taken a side in this war. I'm willing to help you as well as the people you fought against. You were forced to fight a war that you didn't want and so were they." Ralla pushed herself back up to her feet and she wiped her hands off on her pants. "I don't know what you went through and I never will unless you tell me. Whether that happens or not is entirely up to you. If you decide that you want to talk with me again then you can call my office. Good day, Korra."

Korra's gaze lingered on Ralla as the woman retrieved her heels and put them back on before departing. During her time in Republic City Korra had only met a handful of people, but this psychologist was easily the most bewildering among them. A woman without any proficiency in violence whose career revolved around those who depended on their ability to commit violence to survive. If that wasn't strange enough Ralla had admitted one of her clients was someone Korra had been moments away from killing. Despite that she was still willing to help, but whether to accept that offer was a decision for later. Right now there was someone she needed to apologize to.


	17. Chapter 17

Asami sighed and rubbed at her temples as she stared blankly at the room around her. To her right a large bookcase full of volumes thick and thin alike took up most of the wall. On Asami's left was a cold fireplace and logs ready to be ignited should she want. Across the room was the door and a small table bearing a pot of tea and accompanying cup and saucer. Between her and the door was a desk stained the color of chocolate with two armchairs on the other side for visitors if she ever had them. Scattered across the desk's surface were sheets of engineering paper. Drawn on each of them, in black graphite, were structures she had sketched out. Most of the lines were straight, but a few had circular elements and all had blades of various shapes and sizes at their peak.

_'Plenty of designs to choose from, but how am I supposed to know which would be the best option? How fast can the winds blow? How cold can it get? How warm? What kind of metals can tolerate that kind of environment long-term? How am I supposed to build a stable foundation in that kind of terrain? Will condensation be an issue? Corrosion? Do I have to worry about birds? So many questions and I have zero answers.'_

She shoved her chair back and got up before heading towards the bookcase. Asami's fingers brushed against the spines of the textbooks as she scanned their titles yet again, despite already knowing it to be a futile effort. _'None of my reference books talk about conditions in the South Pole. I could try the city library, but the region has been cut off for so long that they probably won't have anything either. My only possible source of information is Korra, but would her answers be reliable? I suppose it's worth a shot since the only alternative is over-engineering the crap out of a prototype and hoping for the best. Of course that depends on her being in a state where she'll talk to me without trying to rip my head off. Possibly literally.'_

Three consecutive thumps came from the door. Asami glanced towards it before going back towards her desk. "Come in, Korra."

The door swung open and Korra walked in. "How did you know it was me?" She asked in surprise.

"I told the staff that I would be working today and wasn't to be disturbed, but to let you know where I was in case you asked." Asami said as she scooped the drawings up into a loose sheaf and tapped them against the desk until they were lined up into a nice stack and set them down. She turned around and leaned against the desk "Is there something you need, Korra?"

Korra hesitantly closed the door behind her and looked around the room as she came further inside and sat in one of the chairs in front of Asami. "So this is your office? It's nice. Lots of books... so I'm here to apologize. I didn't mean to snap at you. You were just trying to help me, again, and..." Korra sheepishly glanced at the floor as she hugged her arms to her chest, abruptly unable to look Asami in the eye. "I responded by threatening you. I crossed a line that I shouldn't have and I'm sorry. I didn't mean any of it by the way."

"I know, Korra." Asami said in a gentle voice. "That's why I asked Ralla to meet with you. It might not work, but I thought speaking to a professional might be helpful. Do you think you'll speak with her again?"

"I'm not sure." Korra replied as she shifted her weight from one foot to the other. "I don't know what to make of her just yet. Ralla seems to know what she's talking about so... maybe." Her gaze rose up from the floor as she peeked at Asami out of the corner of her eye. "Are we... okay now?"

Asami pushed herself off the desk and she took a few steps forward. "Come here." She put her arms around Korra's shoulders and drew her into an embrace. After a second Korra let out a relieved sigh and the guilt vanished from her face. Korra's shoulders relaxed and she raised her hands to Asami's back as she returned the hug. "I'm not mad at you, but I _am_ still a little freaked out. Seeing you like that was… well I wasn't expecting it and I didn't know what else to do aside from asking a professional to talk to you."

"That's all right. Honestly the best thing you can do is to warn the staff to stay away if I'm having an episode. I don't want to hurt anyone and if no one's around then I won't if I'm by myself in the gym. The other thing would be to let me know if another one of those storms is on the way." Korra let go of Asami and stepped back. "So I guess that's that. What exactly are you working on?"

_'Changing the subject I see. Can't blame her for that. Soldiers heart is a pretty heavy topic, especially for Korra since she's the one suffering from it. Can't say I mind it either, good time to ask her about conditions in the south since we're in my office.'_

Asami turned to grab the drawings and held them out to Korra. "Do you remember the katabatic from the day we met?"

"Yes, what about it?" The waterbender inquired as she took the papers and began to flip through them.

"When I was trying to find your people I was brainstorming ways of generating electricity that would work in the south pole. After the storm I realized wind was the best choice so I've been trying to design a windmill that be able to withstand extreme conditions. Can you tell me about the wind speeds and temperature ranges in the south pole?"

"Electricity?" Korra echoed as she looked up from the papers at Asami. "What does that mean?"

_'Does she know anything other than fighting? Maybe I need to hire a tutor to bring her up to speed on the modern world. I really don't feel like trying to explain atoms and electrons to her. Blaaaaaaargh.'_

"Electricity is… think of it like this. Food is what your body runs on. Electricity is what machines and appliances run on." Asami pointed at a lamp standing in the corner of the room. "Like that lamp, for example."

Korra turned her head to see what Asami was pointing at before looking back at Asami, a mild frown on her face. "When we were on your ship you told me it was powered by batteries, but you didn't explain what those were... wait I remember Mako saying he was going to charge the batteries and then..."

The waterbender's voice trailed off and she took a moment to glance at the drawing in her hand before looking back up at its artist. "Asami." Korra said in a tone that was a little _too_ calm and even. "Is your ship powered by lightning benders?"

Asami grimaced as the white lie she had told to avoid incurring Korra's wrath unraveled in a mere handful of seconds. At this point the damage had been done so she might as well come clean. "Yes and so is all of Republic City. Lightning as a power source is cleaner than coal or oil and it's cheaper than natural gas, and before you ask, I never had any intention of using lightning to generate power in the south. I know your people wouldn't tolerate firebenders living in their territory. This is why I went with windmills. If we set up some windmills then we'd be able to install refrigeration units for fruits and vegetables and some ovens so your people can cook their food "

Korra's fingers slackened and the papers slipped loose as she stared blankly at Asami. They crashed against the floor and she jumped out of her chair. In one swift motion she threw her arms around the other woman. "Thank you, thank you, thank you. That would be incredible!"

Asami let out a grunt as her face reddened. Her hands grabbed onto Korra's biceps, trying to pull them off in vain. "Too... tight." She managed to gasp despite the arms squeezing her torso.

"Oh! Uhm, sorry." A chagrined Korra mumbled as she let go and took a long step back. "I couldn't help myself. One of my favorite things on this trip is all the new foods I've gotten to try. Honestly I'm not sure I could ever go back to eating frozen meat now that I've learned what it tastes like when you cook it. Not to mention the fruits and vegetables are _so_ much better than dried seaweed." Korra shuddered and gagged. "Giving my people the ability to cook their food would be a really amazing thing to do."

The corners of Asami's lips tugged upwards for a second before reversing direction as she glanced down at the mess of papers on the floor. She sank into a crouch and began to pick them up. "Well, that's the idea, but I need to finish designing the windmills first. Do you mind answering a few questions?"

"Like what?"

"How fast are the winds? How cold does it get? How hot? I need to know as much about the climate I can get. Wind especially since the windmill has to be able to withstand the gusts I experienced when I was down there." Asami stood and straightened the papers in her hands before setting them back onto the desk.

Korra scratched at the side of her head before shrugging helplessly. "If you're looking for numbers then I can't really give you any. The warmest region in the south can get to the point where freshwater freezes, but everywhere else is much colder than that. As for the wind our villages are all located far inland where the winds are fairly mild. The katabatics are worse on the coasts because they gain speed from rushing downhill."

_'Of course, the south pole is the very bottom of the planet and they must live near its highest point. What I experienced was a result of gravity. If they live in a flat region at the top of the incline then I don't have to worry about the wind, just the temperature. Though if they're located so high up then getting a windmill to them is an obstacle in of itself. I suppose if we assembled it onsite then that'd make transportation easier, but we're still moving a few metric tons of material hundreds of kilometers uphill in a subzero environment. I remember seeing what looked like some sort of camel when I was down there, so I guess they have some beasts of burden, but I don't know if they have enough to carry everything. Do I have to design a vehicle that can operate in the south pole too? That's possible, but then you need someone to charge the vehicle which means lightingbender which means angry waterbenders which is exactly the thing I was trying to avoid by building the windmills in the first-'_

"Hello, Asami, you still with me?"

Asami jumped as Korra jolted her out of her reverie. "Uhh... sorry. I was just going over the problem in my head. I wasn't meaning to ignore you."

"That's all right. I'll let you get back to it." Korra took a step forward and put her arms around Asami again, but in a much gentler hug than before. "Thank you, this means a lot to me."

Asami smiled softly as she returned the embrace, a tinge of self-satisfaction running through her at the gratitude in her fiancée's voice. "You're welcome, Korra."

She turned back towards her desk as the waterbender headed for the door. Asami picked the drawings up and began to shuffle through them again. _'Well, over-engineering it is. I hope the gala raises enough money to pay for all of this. Ah crap, I forgot to tell Korra it's tomorrow evening. There's still a bit of time for more etiquette lessons, but it won't be nearly enough to get through everything.'_

Even so, they would have to make do and hope for the best.


	18. Chapter 18

Don't pass the dishes. Don't handle the serving platters. Serving dishes aren't placed directly on the table. Utensils go back onto your plate once you're finished with them. Food is served going counterclockwise, beginning with the guest of honor, Korra in this particular case. Beverages are served going clockwise, again starting with Korra. The more courses you have the smaller a serving you get with each course. Seat yourself two hand-widths from the table. Bring the spoon to your mouth when you're eating soup, not the other way around.

Korra let out a long-suffering sigh as she stared at the plate in front of her as Asami continued to drone on about the seemingly endless list of rules governing a formal dinner in Republic City. She squeezed her eyes shut and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why do you have to make _eating_ so complicated? It's _food_. You stick it in your mouth and chew it. All this stuff is just a bunch of nonsense." She grumbled.

Asami came to a halt in the middle of her pacing as Korra interrupted her. "I know it's complicated, but all these rules are a major part of what makes this a formal dinner. Without them it wouldn't be an upper-class affair."

"Classes again." Korra muttered with a shake of her head. "Another thing I still don't get... how long is this lesson going to take, Asami?"

"Well, there's still plenty of things for you to learn…" Asami mused. "...but we've covered enough to get you through this dinner tonight. There's still some things left to do though, but not right now. Come by my room at say five thirty and we can get ready together." On her way out Asami stopped after opening the door. "We're done, Kika. You can start cleaning up now."

The maid pushed her cart inside and wheeled it up to the table. Korra gave the plate and utensils a sour look as Kika picked them up and placed them onto her cart. These weren't the dishes and cutlery that were going to be used at the gala tonight, but they were in the same category and as such were just as loathsome. Even so, this was only for one night and then she could go back to eating like a sane person.

At five-thirty Korra knocked twice on the door to Asami's room and Asami's voice came through right away. "Come in."

Her fiancée was sitting in front of a dresser, a wooden box with multiple drawers to her left and a mirror in front of her. She had changed into the slinky red dress and a black purse rested on her lap. Korra came to a halt next to Asami and her eyes drifted down to her fiancée's hands. "Makeup again? You're pretty with or without it."

Asami blushed as she made eye contact with Korra through the mirror. "Maybe so, but it's expected of me and to be honest it's something I enjoy doing. You should give it a try." Asami rose from her chair and gestured at the seat.

"What, like right now?" Korra exclaimed, taken aback by the suggestion.

"Yep. I figure a bit of makeup would help you look more presentable. First impressions are important and a lot of powerful people are going to meet you for the first time tonight."

Korra glanced at the chair then at the box of makeup on the dresser. The idea wasn't completely alien to her. She had painted her face before, but not for the sake of making herself look more appealing like Asami was suggesting. It had been a methodical and solemn act. A means of preparing herself for battle. An attempt to frighten the enemy and possibly the last thing they might see before the end. A mask of black and white. Gray and death. She shuddered at the memory of the grim task then shook her head. "No... I'm not doing that." She said with a tone of finality that brooked no argument.

"Oh... okay then..." Asami hesitantly stated, caught off-guard by the steely resolve in Korra's voice. "I'll meet you at the car at six."

"At six?" Korra asked with a furrowed brow. "The dinner begins at six."

"It does, but we're going to wait so that we arrive after everyone else is present." Asami explained, looking a little pleased with the plan she had concocted. "The main reason people are coming to this dinner is to meet the new council member. If you're not there then they'll ask each other where you could be and they'll get more excited. When we do show up it'll have more of an impact."

Korra frowned to herself as she considered the suggestion. Asami's logic made sense if one's goal was to attract as much attention as possible. It was a goal she had never sought after, however. Attention wasn't something she had ever sought out, or enjoyed for that matter, but now it seemed unavoidable. Still, it would only be for one night, much like the insane rules the people in this city had towards some of their dinners.

An hour later the two of them were standing of a curved building with what had to be at least a hundred identical square windows covering its facade. In front of them was a set of glass doors and behind them a valet behind the wheel of Asami's car was disappearing down a ramp into an underground garage. "So, are you ready?"

Korra stared blankly at the door before slowly shaking her head as she tugged on her bowtie then fiddled with one of her dinner jacket's sleeves. "Not really. I don't know anyone in there or anything about Republic City for that matter. What am I supposed to talk about with a bunch of people I haven't met and probably have nothing in common with?"

"Well, you've met me and my father so that's two people." Asami pointed out with a slightly mischievous grin.

"Your dad's attending?" Korra asked, surprised. "Why didn't he come with us if we're all going to the same place?"

A strange look passed over Asami's face before vanishing in the blink of an eye and she shrugged as if it was of no consequence. "He probably wanted to get here early so he could butter some people up for a business deal or something like that. Come on, we can't stay out here forever. Let's go."

Korra shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she eyed the door and the dinner party somewhere beyond it. There was more than one barrier between her and it, but she could still sense it's presence, like a predator skulking unseen. Korra shook her head in annoyance and straightened to stand fully upright. This was ridiculous. She had fought in battle. This was a dinner party and she was more nervous now than she had been in years. Korra walked forward, pushed the door open with a stiff arm and began to walk through the hotel lobby.

"Wrong way, Korra. The dinner is off that way." Asami pointed to her right with one gloved finger.

An embarrassed Korra's face darkened as blood rose to her face and she did an abrupt u-turn before heading towards the hallway Asami was indicating. Korra had never been in this building before, but it seemed that Asami was familiar with the place. There was an intersection a short distance from the spot where they had entered the hall and another not long after that. Asami took a right at the first then a left at the second, both without hesitation. She came to a halt near a pair of doors opened all the way up and held in place against the wall by stoppers. Asami turned towards Korra. "So here we are. Whenever you're ready."

Korra took a deep breath as she stared at the open doors. Just a dinner party. She strode forward and through the doors and into the room beyond. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, their light bulbs hidden between rows of glass teardrops. Dozens of tables covered in white tablecloths were placed throughout the room, each of which had bare surfaces and chairs tucked in. Between all the tables a sizable crowd was standing around in small knots as they chatted with each other. The men were all wearing dark suits much like the one Korra was dressed in. The women were all sporting long dresses though their colors were more varied and most were sporting extravagant necklaces. Black, blue, red like Asami's and the occasional gray or silver dress. There was also a third set of outfits, white dress shirts and black slacks. This third group also sported one extra addition, round silver trays bearing thin glasses on them.

"Excuse me, may I have your attention please?" A woman's voice, emanating from somewhere in the ceiling, cut through the din. The crowd turned to look towards the door and Korra did likewise. A woman, dressed like those carrying drinks, was standing there, some sort of metal device attached to a black cable in her hand. Asami moved forward and placed through Korra's, turning her back towards the cable. "Presenting Asami Sato and her fiancée, Korra of the Southern Water Tribe."

Korra froze as the eyes of all the other party-goers shifted towards her. As she stood there multiple people leaned towards the person or persons they were standing next to and a quiet murmur filled the room. Asami leaned in towards Korra. "If you need help or have questions then I'll chime in, but it's best if you can handle this on your own since I won't always be there. Otherwise I'm just your piece of arm candy tonight."

Asami tugged her forwards towards the crowd and the conversations began to pick back up though Korra could feel people glancing at her out of the corners of their eyes as she walked by. After a moment an older man with thick gray hair and a square face walked up towards them. He held his hand out towards Korra. "Wonyong Keum, CEO of Keum Enterprises. Pleasure to meet you, Korra."

"CEO?" Korra's eyes flicked towards Asami, a questioning look on her face.

"Chief executive officer. It means he's the leader of his company." Asami quickly explained.

"I see." Korra said before looking back at the older man and taking his hand. He had a firmer grip than she was expecting and pumped her hand once before letting go. "What does Keum Enterprises do exactly?"

"My company dabbles in a lot of different areas, but our biggest focus is real estate and construction." Wonyong said. "We own a fair amount of property in Republic City and work crews to build on the lots we don't." He grabbed a pair of glasses off a tray passing nearby and handed one to Korra and the second to Asami.

"What sort of things have you built?" Korra asked as she took the glass and eyed the bubbling yellow liquid in it for a split second, unsure of what it was. "I'm not very familiar with Republic City yet."

"This hotel for starters." Wonyong waved his hand aimlessly at the room they were in. "Republic City needed a place suitable for guests as esteemed as yourself and I was happy to oblige. Lately though my crews have been working in Republic City's harbor. Repairing and in some cases upgrading the piers and dockyards."

There it was. Korra hadn't even been in the room for five minutes and the very first person to approach her was already dropping hints. It was just like Hiroshi had said when she had encountered him in the Sato's garage. Korra might be an unknown, but she also represented an opportunity for those willing to take the initiative. The question was deciding who to trust from among all these strangers. Wonyong's veiled suggestion did make sense though. If the Southern Water Tribe was going to rejoin the rest of the world then a harbor was exactly the sort of thing they would need.

"Well, that's very interesting." Korra stated in as polite a voice she could muster. "I think I should meet as many people as I can while I'm here, but maybe we could talk again later." She suggested before starting to move further into the crowd.

She had only made it a few steps when Korra spotted a man and woman making a beeline for her. The man was several centimeters taller than her and his shoulders were broad, but he was hardly what one would call muscular. His hair was still black, but beginning to fade and he sported a neatly trimmed mustache above his lip in addition to a pair of round glasses. The woman was about the same height as Korra, but that was where the similarities ended. Makeup was something Korra was still figuring out, but just looking at this woman was educational in how _not_ to apply it. Her lips looked like they had been stained with blood and the area above each of her eyes was a garish block of blue paint.

"Korra, was it? Allow me to introduce myself. I'm one of your future colleagues on the council, once you're officially confirmed that is, Councilman Raiko," He turned partly and gestured towards the woman at his side ",and this is my wife, Buttercup."

Buttercup's scarlet lips parted to reveal a pair of teeth that were thankfully white. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Korra. I hope you've enjoyed Republic City so far."

"Nice to meet you both." Korra replied while doing her best not to stare at Buttercup's makeup, instead looking at Raiko. "You're on the council? Just how many members are there if I might ask?"

"Well right now there's just three of us. The other two would be Hiroshi Sato, whom I'm sure you've already met since you're engaged to his daughter and Zhu Li Moon. If the other nations accept our offer then that will bring it up to eight."

Korra drummed her fingers against her glass as she counted it off in her head. Three from the United Republic. One from the Air Nation, Earth Kingdom and Fire Nation made six and one from the Southern and Northern Water Tribe made eight. "How did you choose who would represent the United Republic on the council?"

"Well, Hiroshi has been the driving force behind our formation so he was an obvious choice. I was the leader of the group that drafted our legal system and Zhu Li has a reputation for being extremely competent, highly intelligent and being able to get things done. I last saw her," Raiko turned to look over his shoulder. "over there." He raised one finger to point her out.

The woman in question was the very definition of nondescript. Her mousy brown hair was bound up in a bun and the color of her eyes was identical to her hair. Zhu Li was wearing an unadorned black dress and her face was as plain as could be. Her expression was blank and her clothing simple, but a single glance at the eyes behind her thin glasses was enough to let Korra know the rest was a facade. Zhu Li might look plain, but only because she didn't care about her physical appearance. She had more important things to do.

"Intelligent, competent and gets things done?" Korra mused as she eyed the third member of the council. "Sounds like the kind of woman I want to know. It was good to meet you, Councilman Raiko."

Korra and Asami had only taken a step in Zhu Li's direction when the voice of the woman from earlier cut through the crowd's conversation a second time. "Presenting Unalaq, Chief of the Northern Water Tribe."

The crowd turned towards the entrance. A tall man with a gaunt, almost skeletal, face and sunken brown eyes was standing there. Unalaq was wearing a blue and white robe not dissimilar to the clothing Korra's tribe had worn, but it was made of a soft and smooth fur and sewn by someone far more adept at the art than Korra was. Or anyone else in her tribe for that matter.

Unalaq moved forward into the room, his eyes sweeping over the crowd. They remained silent for longer than they had been during Korra's entrance then, bit by bit, the conversation picked back up. Several seconds later Hiroshi Sato slipped through the doors and joined the waiting crowd, his path different from that of Unalaq.

Asami's fingers clenched tighter on Korra's elbow, almost painfully so, before relaxing. It was only for a split-second, but it and the anger radiating off her was enough for Korra to realize what had just happened. Asami's plan had been to make people wait for Korra so that it would cause a stir when she finally showed up. Her father must have predicted Asami's plan because he had done the exact same thing, but waited to ensure that his guest, a member of the other Water Tribe no less, would be the last to arrive. Korra turned her head to the side towards her fiancée. "Are you alright?"

The smile on Asami's face never wavered as she took a large swig from her glass for the first time since Wonyong had handed it to her. "I'll be fine. You don't need to worry about me. I'm going to go see how long until dinner is ready." Asami pulled her hand away and strode off.

Korra watched her walk away for a few seconds before eyeing the crowd around her. Her primary goal in coming to Republic City had been in the hopes of securing help for her people. There might be more opportunities among the attendees here, but the most likely of them had just walked through the door. They might have been cut off from each other for the better part of two centuries, but who was more likely to help than the other tribe of waterbenders?

Unalaq turned as she approached and his gaze flicked downwards for an instant before he spoke. "An interesting choice of apparel. I was expecting to see you wearing the clothes of our people though perhaps I shouldn't have. If you're seeking aid from the people of this city then dressing like one of them may be a wise strategy, Korra."

By now she was getting used to people recognizing her on sight, but it still didn't bring her any more comfort now than it had the first time. Said recognition meant the other person had read that stupid article. "I didn't bring any outfits good enough for an event like this so I borrowed one." Korra said with a shrug. "That said, I was more interested in getting help from the Northern Water Tribe and you're their chief so..."

Unalaq's eyes flicked towards the glass she was holding before raising his hand towards one of the attendants. The man came over and the chief took a glass for himself and sipped from it. "Another wise decision and it's certainly something we can talk about. I have a question I'd like to ask you first. Have you ever met a man by the name of Tonraq?"

"Tonraq? How do you know my father's name?" Korra blurted out as she looked upwards at a man whose name she had never heard, let alone met before today.

"Because Tonraq is my brother which makes you my niece it seems."

Korra's fingers slackened on her glass and it nearly slipped from her fingers before she caught it by the bowl. If what Unalaq was saying was true then… "He's your _what_? I don't believe you. Prove it."

"If you insist. My brother was always muscular, even as a boy, and he was very solidly built as a man. His hair is the same color as yours and he stood about this high the last time I saw him though that was a long time ago." Unalaq swung his hand horizontally in the air a few centimeters above his own head.

The height was correct, but Korra wasn't about to yield the point just yet. "What color are his eyes? Green or Brown?"

"Neither. Tonraq's eyes are blue. Do you have any more trick questions you'd like to ask?"

Korra blinked, several times, as she stared at Unalaq. It was possible that Unalaq was just guessing about the hair color, but his own was quite similar to Korra's and her fathers. He also was sporting the same sort of tubes and front locks of hair as Korra, albeit smaller in size. The rest of it though, her father's height, his size, correctly picking the color of his eyes despite Korra's attempt to deceive him. That was no accident. Unalaq's words had an unmistakable, if troubling, ring of truth to them and they invited an obvious question.

"I don't understand. If you're from the North then how did my father end up living in the South?"

"About thirty years ago the Northern Water Tribe had an unexpected guest. A woman named Katara. Somehow she managed to sneak through the Fire Nation's blockade of the south and crossed the ocean all on her own until she reached the North Pole. It took her a few days, but Katara gained a meeting with our chief. She told us that the Southern Water Tribe was in dire straits and pleaded with us for help. Supplies, weapons, healers, warriors. Anything that could be spared." Unalaq paused there as he looked down into his glass, a look of guilt and disquiet appearing on his face. "My father refused her. He said he wished that he was able to help, but the North had been struggling against the Fire Nation as well and that we didn't have any available resources. Tonraq was furious. He called us cowards and swore that he was willing to help even if we weren't. He left with Katara later that same day and I haven't seen him since."

Korra raised her glass to her lips and took a large swig, no longer worried about what this drink was. As she lowered her glass Korra's eyes flicked towards the rest of the crowd. There were still plenty of people to meet and dinner hadn't been served either. Even so Korra had a sneaking suspicion that none of them would be as consequential or revealing as the avalanche that had just been dropped on her. She had an uncle. From the other Water Tribe.

And so was her father.


	19. Chapter 19

"Dirtbag."

Asami's feet thumped against the carpet as she angrily paced across her bedroom. When she drew near one of the walls she spun around and headed back the other way.

On the surface this dinner had been about raising money for the Southern Water Tribe. That was what she had told Korra and it _was _true, but there was more to it than just that. This had been the first major social event she had organized. An important step in the process of going from just being Hiroshi Sato's daughter to Asami Sato, a rising figure in the socioeconomic and political circles of Republic City. The plan had been to introduce Korra to those circles, both as her fiancée and a future member of the Council.

Everything had been going without a hitch. Plenty of people had shown up, the drinks were flowing and the guests were enjoying themselves. Her arrival with Korra had gone as planned then a couple of minutes later her father had shown up with a guest of his own. There had been a buzz, but the topic hadn't been Korra or Asami or the both of them. It had been the chief of the larger, richer and more powerful Water Tribe.

Asami came to an abrupt halt in the middle of the room. Her head tilted backwards until she was staring at the ceiling.

"Dirtbag!"

As her scream faded Asami's head dipped back lower and she turned towards the windows. Outside a pale crescent hung near its peak above the horizon midst an otherwise dark sky. It was the middle of the night, but she didn't feel the slightest urge for sleep. Instead she felt jittery and about to explode from an overabundance of energy, as if she had drank too many cups of tea. Asami moved away from the windows towards her closet. She pulled the door open and hit the switch to turn the light on before walking inside. She grabbed a hanger off one of the poles and removed the garment from it. A few moments later she had changed into a one piece swimsuit that was entirely black save for white stripes along its edges. The garment's legs ended a few centimeters above mid-thigh and two thin strips rested on her shoulders.

At this hour all of the staff would be asleep save for the guards who kept watch over the estate at night. Asami grabbed a towel from her bathroom and flung it over her shoulder before heading out into the hallway. The halls were dark, save for the occasional patch of moonlight streaming through a window. Her destination was the exception. Light spilled out beneath the door standing between her and the swimming pool. Asami pushed it open and stepped inside, a wave of humid air passing over as she did so.

Korra was sitting cross legged at one end of the pool, her hair not bound into a ponytail like it was usually was. Instead it hung loose all the way down to her shoulder-blades. She was wearing a swimsuit similar to Asami's, but colored a solid red and with broader shoulder straps. Asami's sandals pattered against the stone floor as she approached Korra before looking downwards. Her mouth went dry and she swallowed nervously as her eyes fell onto the waterbender. The suit's fabric left the the uppermost swell of her bosom uncovered, and like Asami's swimsuit, it only covered part of her thighs. The remainder of her legs and their lean, but powerful muscles were left bare to Asami's eyes.

_'I guess that answers that. Her thighs are as toned as her arms. Too bad she's sitting down and I can't get a better look at her butt. I bet it'd jiggle just right if I spanked it... and I'm being dirty-minded _again_. Maybe if I go masturbate then I'd stop getting horny around her every time she shows a bit of skin. Or I could have Korra eat me out since she already offered... Agh! Come on, Asami. Self-control, self-control, self-control.'_

"Spacing out again are we, Asami?"

"Sorry, I have a lot on my mind. Do you come here often?"

As soon as the words were out of her mouth Asami winced inwardly. _'Good job, Asami. You just dropped a pickup line on her and the worst one to ever exist at that. I'm all over the place right now. Okay, I need to focus. Starting now.'_

If Korra was bothered by the line her voice didn't show any sign of it. "I've been here a couple times already, during nights where I have trouble sleeping. I put this on," She gestured at her swimsuit ", and come here. Trying to work up the nerve to go for a swim, but I haven't managed it yet." She laughed and shook her ruefully. "Sounds stupid doesn't it? I'm a waterbender who's afraid of some water."

"May I ask why?" Asami said as she sat down next to Korra, her legs extended out in front of her.

Korra stared at the water in the pool for several moments without responding. Asami shifted and started to open her mouth when the waterbender finally spoke. "The shoreline is the most dangerous part of the South Pole. The ice is thinner than it is further inland and there's places where you can plunge through if you're not watching out for them. There's more predators, on land and in the water as well. Plus there was always the chance of running into Fire Nation raiders on patrol. It didn't matter because those were risks we had to take to survive. Harvesting kelp, fishing, hunting. It's what we were doing out there when you found me."

_'Subzero temperatures, freezing water, violent windstorms. Weak patches of ice. Creatures that will eat you. Why would anybody choose to live in the South Pole? Not to mention being at war with the Fire Nation. What kind of people can survive in those kinds of conditions?' _Asami gave Korra a considering glance. '_One of them is sitting here right now, the strongest I've ever met. Maybe it's like metal in a factory. It can't be shaped without the blows of a hammer…'_

"So what does that mean exactly? The water here reminds you of the water near the shoreline in the south?" Asami asked.

"Not exactly. I've always associated water that you can swim in, like the ocean or this pool, with danger. I know it's irrational and I'm trying to get past it, but I haven't had any luck so far." Korra shook her head and glared at the water in the pool as if it was purposefully trying to stop her from achieving her goal.

Asami's eyes darted towards the pool. Hammering might be too much for this situation, but some gentle taps might help. She pushed herself forward and over the lip of the pool into the water. Asami kicked with her feet to keep from going under then put a hand on the ledge to hold herself up. "Come join me."

"What?"

"Come join me." Asami repeated while beckoning with her free hand. "There's nothing to be afraid of in this pool. If there was then I wouldn't get in. On the incredibly, _incredibly _unlikely chance there is then I still don't have anything to worry about. I saw you overpower that sea serpent so I know I'm safe with you here to protect me."

Korra gingerly bit her lip as she looked back and forth between the pool and Asami. After a long pause she unfolded her legs and scooted her butt forward until she could dangle her feet in the water. "Huh. This is a lot warmer than I was expecting it to be."

"Feels good doesn't it?" Asami said with a small smile at the surprise in Korra's voice. "We keep it at a nice and warm twenty-six degrees."

Korra idly kicked with one foot and she stared down at the clear blue water as ripples spread outwards from the movement of her leg. Despite the distortions in the water the tiled patterning that covered the floor of the pool was still visible. She stared for several seconds then planted her hands against the ground and shoved herself over the edge. A spray of water shot up into the air as Korra dropped below the surface of the water. She kicked her legs and shot back up to the top. After she breached the surface she dragged one hand over her face to wipe away the excess water while grabbing onto the ledge with her other hand.

A gentle smile crossed Asami's face as she looked at her fiancée, slicked back hair clinging to her neck and all. Getting into the pool was a small thing, ultimately trivial in nature, but Korra had managed to push through an obstacle generated by the darkness in her past. The act had taken some encouragement, but it was still progress and that was enough to send a ripple of pride in the other woman through her heart. "So, are you feeling more comfortable with this now that you've gotten in?"

"I'm still a little uneasy, but I think I can manage it." Korra let go of the ledge and drifted a short distance away while kicking her feet to keep from sinking. "I don't think I could have managed it without you here..." Her voice trailed off and she gave Asami a puzzled look. "Wait, why _are_ you here? I figured you'd have gone to bed by now."

"I was hoping to blow off some steam. It's too dark to drive and hitting the punching bags would just wind me up further."

"Because of what your father did at the party?" Korra asked. "I don't understand why he would do that to you."

Asami's lips flattened as the fiery anger from earlier reignited in her despite her present location though. Before it had burned, but now it was merely a smoldering anger directed in the direction of her father, not Korra even though her question had sparked it. _'Why do my father and I not have a relationship? is what you're asking even if you don't know it. I really haven't been looking forward to this conversation.' _Asami closed her eyes as she inhaled through her nose then exhaled through her mouth to center herself and still her anger. "I'm not sure if you've noticed or not, but my father and I aren't particularly close. It's because of my mother. Well, because of what happened to my mother."

"I kinda saw that in the garage when he brushed you off over dinner, but I thought it was because he was busy." Korra mused. "What I have noticed is that you literally haven't mentioned your mom at all before now. I've met some of your friends, your house staff, your father and a bunch of people tonight, but not her. So... what happened to her?"

"She's dead." Asami stated in a flat voice, wanting to get through this conversation as quickly as possible. "There were complications when she was delivering me. The physicians couldn't do anything except give her painkillers to make it easier on her. If there had been a proper healer then she would have lived, but all the waterbenders have been gone for a long time because of the war. That's why my father decided to create the United Republic. He blames the Fire Nation for her death. It's also why I decided to marry someone from one of the Water Tribes. I thought if I helped bring back the healers then maybe he'd stop resenting me for looking like my mother, but it doesn't look like it worked."

"I'm so sorry, Asami. I had no idea things between the two of you were that bad or that your mother... you know." An uncomfortable looking Korra said as she rubbed at the back of her neck. "Is there anything I can do to help? I can heal if that counts for anything." She offered.

"I'm afraid not, this is just more stuff to talk about with my therapist." Asami answered with a shake of the head. "I appreciate the offer, but if getting engaged to you and bringing you here wasn't enough for him then I don't think anything will be." Korra's face fell and Asami hastened to reassure her. "That's not your fault. You aren't responsible for my dad being such a jerk. I traveled halfway across the world, tracked down the Southern Water Tribe, got engaged to an amazing woman and it doesn't make a difference to him. At this point I don't see what more I could possibly do."

Korra's cheeks darkened as she blushed and she gazed at Asami in disbelief. "You think I'm amazing?" She finally asked.

A similar set of spots appeared on Asami's cheeks as she realized what had come out of her mouth during her mini rant about her dad. It wasn't something she had planned on saying, but it had slipped out nonetheless. "I… uh… yes, I do. I've tried to understand what you've gone through, but I don't believe anyone who hasn't experienced it firsthand can really comprehend the horrors of war. But I don't need to understand it because I can see what's in front of me. You're strong, beautiful and the bravest person I've ever met. Agreeing to marry me, a complete stranger, leaving your home for a place you knew nothing about… I don't think I would have the courage needed for that if our positions were reversed. So, yes. I think you're amazing."

The tinge to Korra's face darkened even further and she glanced away from Asami, suddenly shy. "I didn't know you felt that way. That's sweet...uhh... thanks for helping me get into the pool, but I think I've had enough swimming for today. I'll see you later."

Korra's arms rose above the surface as she swam towards a ladder in the corner. She grabbed the rails and pulled herself upwards. As she exited the pool, rivulets of water streamed off her and the muscles in Korra's hips alternatively tightened and relaxed as the waterbender climbed the rungs. Korra paused just long enough to grab her towel and then she was hurrying out of the room. _'I was right. Her butt _would _jiggle if I spanked her... and I'm horny again. _Asami. Go. Masturbate. _You nit. Oh, who am I kidding? I'd probably moan her name if I did. What I really need to do is figure out if I'm just lusting after her or if I actually like her in a romantic sense.'_

Either way she had a lot of thinking ahead of her.


	20. Chapter 20

Korra slumped back and to the side of the leather chair she was sitting in as she rested her chin against her knuckles. Another red club chair, identical to the one she was sitting in, sat on the other end of a rectangular coffee table. On the table was a kettle of tea and porcelain cups along with pastries Kika had called croissants. Adjacent to said table was a cold brick fireplace.

"Oh, I do wish I had known you were going to have company today, Miss Korra." Kika moaned as she scurried around the room with a cloth in one hand and a scraggly feather-duster in the other, trying to wipe clean as much as she could. "I would have prepared this room something proper ahead of time instead of having it look an awful mess."

Korra resisted the urge to roll her eyes at the dismay in the maid's voice. "It's fine, Kika. I don't care if there's a little dust in here, but if it bothers you then feel free to clean it up later. The person visiting me should get here soon. Can you go wait for him, then bring him back when he does?"

"As you say, Miss Korra."

The maid stopped what she was doing and curtsied in Korra's direction before heading out the door. Korra stood up and leaned forward over the table. "Leaves first then pour water." She muttered to herself while picking up several slender tea leaves from a small container and dumping them into the cups. After that she grabbed the kettle's handle and poured into each cup. "Okay, now I need to let them steep for a couple of minutes." It would have been easier to let Kika serve the tea, but Korra still didn't feel comfortable with the way the woman tried to wait on her all the time.

Several minutes later Kika returned, guest in tow and Korra rose from the chair as he entered. Unalaq had shed the long robe he had been wearing at the dinner. In its place was a coat that was strange to her eyes. It was narrow at the middle of his chest and widened towards the shoulders. Beneath it was a shirt and trousers, all in shades of blue dye and white fur, like the ones Korra was presently wearing, but the stitches were tighter than any Korra had ever seen and the material finer than any she had ever worn.

Unalaq gave a short bow after he had entered the room as Kika left. "It's a pleasure to be invited here and to speak with you again, Korra. I must admit I'm a little envious of where you're staying. Miss Sato has a fine estate, finer than any in the North though I will say a building such as this might not last long there."

Korra's eyes swung towards the wall and she shrugged. "Could be. I don't know how well this building would withstand katabatic winds or if it could keep the cold out. I don't think it matters though since it was built for this area and not the places where we come from."

"That's a fair point." Unalaq conceded. He slowly looked around the room before gesturing to the chair across from Korra. "May I?"

Korra jumped a little at the question before clapping her hand against the side of her forehead. "Right! Sorry, I'm not used to hosting guests like this. Please take a seat." As the older waterbender took a seat Korra fished the leaves out of both cups with a slotted spoon then held a cup and saucer out to him.

Unalaq accepted the tea with both hands and took a sip as Korra sat herself down. He paused in surprise then took a second sip before lowering the cup towards his lap. "This is a fine oolong tea. You have good taste, Korra."

"It is? I have no idea, really." She confessed while grabbing her own cup. "I asked my maid for some good tea and this is what she brought me." Korra took a sip and a hot liquid tasting much like the orange she had eaten for breakfast that morning coated her tongue. "That is really good." Korra remarked after she had swallowed. Her voice trailed off as she stared at the man across from her. An uncle from the far side of the world, someone who's existence she had never suspected or even dreamed of. A person she knew nothing about and her mind was drawing a blank. Where was she supposed to begin?

"You must have a great many questions on your mind. I know I would if I was in your shoes." Unalaq took another sip then set his cup down and placed his hands on the arms of his chair. "However I can't answer them if you don't ask."

Korra put her cup down on the table as well and she leaned forward while speaking excitedly. "Are you married? Do you have any kids? How is the Northern Water Tribe doing? What are you doing in Republic City?"

"I am married with two children, twins. Desna, my son and his sister Eska. They are sixteen years old so a few years younger than you I would guess." Unalaq leaned forward to claim one of the croissants for himself. "I would have brought them to meet you today, but they're touring some of the manufacturing plants in the city."

"Oh that's too bad... I don't have any brothers or sisters. Having cousins could be fun. What about your wife? Is she here?"

Unalaq shook his head as he took a bite. Once he had finished he picked up a napkin and dabbed at the corner of his mouth to remove a tiny spot of butter."No. I left her back at home to keep an eye on things for me while I tended to this matter with the United Republic."

"So you got the same offer as us right? An alliance through marriage. Did you accept?" Korra inquired.

Unalaq set the croissant onto its plate and he steepled his fingers in front of him. "The offer is an intriguing one. A new state allied to each of the four nations. Its location would help keep the peace and serve to facilitate trade. However I didn't become chief of the Northern Water Tribe by making uninformed decisions. Rushing into an alliance with a state I know little about would be foolhardy."

The excitement Korra had been bubbling over with suddenly went out as if a bucket of water had been thrown on it. Rushing into an alliance was exactly what she had done. She hadn't known anything about Asami Sato or ever heard the words United Republic used together in a sentence before. Her tribe had been cut off for decades with no contact with the outside world, at least that's what she had believed at the time, and knew precisely zilch about the state of the outside world. Even so, Asami Sato had shown up and within fifteen minutes Korra had agreed to marry this black-haired beauty from beyond the frozen plains that was her home.

"So... what do you think of Republic City so far?" Korra tentatively asked.

"It's an interesting place." Unalaq said thoughtfully. "They've made a remarkable amount of progress in a short time in science and technology. Enough so I feel no shame in admitting they're more advanced than any of the other nations. Despite that I don't feel confident in what I've seen so far. They may be more advanced, but their military is lacking. I don't see how they could stand up to the Fire Nation or Earth Kingdom should either one choose to invade."

"And if that happens then it'll mean I dragged the Southern Water Tribe into another war." Korra's shoulders sagged and she covered her face with one hand as her head dipped towards the ground. Her decision to marry Asami had been made with the intent to help her people recover from Azula's war and now she was faced with the possibility of having the opposite effect.

"Not necessarily. Did you sign anything?"

Korra looked up, the question taking her by surprise. "What do you mean?"

"One of the things I've observed about the United Republic is their use of contracts. A large part of their legal system is based on them. If you never signed anything then your engagement to Miss Sato isn't legally binding and neither is the alliance."

Korra frowned for a few seconds before grabbing her cup of tea and taking a drink to give herself a moment to mull it over. "If what you say is true then why didn't Asami ask me to sign a contract?"

"I can't say. What it does mean is that you aren't bound to the United Republic or to this engagement. You're free to choose your own path."

"Even if that's the case, I agreed to marry Asami to help my people and we've already made plans that will." Korra pointed out as she set the empty cup down. "She's designing a windmill that'll let us generate power for ovens and things like that."

"Is that so?" Unalaq gave her an appraising glance as he leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows on his knees. "You know, you remind me of Katara. She had the same fire in her eyes as you and both of you traveled far from home in search of ways to help your people. There are two differences, however. Katara's journey took her to the Northern Water Tribe. You sought aid from this so-called United Republic. The other is that my father is no longer the chief. I am. My father was wrong to deny you help, but now we have a chance to correct his mistake."

Korra sat back in her chair and folded her arms. It had only been two days since the dinner where she had met Unalaq. Two days of trying to process the fact that she had an uncle. That her father had a brother he had never mentioned a single time in all of Korra's twenty summers. A brother from the other pole, where he had been born, another fact Tonraq also hadn't mentioned. Nor had anyone else for that matter. Even so, it was obvious this newfound relative was interested in her for reasons other than the fact she was his niece. "What exactly do you have in mind?"

"Your plan was a good one, but you chose to marry the wrong person. In many ways Asami Sato is a fine choice, but she lacks the most important trait to be a partner to a person such as you. She's not a waterbender. You should be with one of your own kind-"

A scowl crossed Korra's face and she jumped to her feet, fists clenched and her brow began to twitch. "How. Dare. You?" Korra said between clenched teeth. " I invited you here so we could get to know each other because we're related and I thought maybe we could be family. But if you think you can walk in here and tell me who I should or shouldn't be marrying then you're out of your mind! And one more thing, don't ever talk about Asami like that again. She might not be a bender, but that doesn't make her any less worthwhile as a person. Get out!"

Unalaq wiped his mouth on the napkin once again before rising to his feet. "As you wish, Korra. I would urge you to think about what I said, however. You have the ability to reunite our people. No more north, no more south. Just the Water Tribe, as it should be."

After Unalaq had left Korra dropped back down onto her chair. When she had left for Republic City her plan had been to make contact with the Northern Water Tribe and ask for help. However she hadn't been the first person or even the first woman from the Southern Water Tribe to have that idea. Katara had tried it before Korra had even been born and had her plea rejected. Tonraq had known that to be the case when Korra had explained her plan to him and her father had said nothing. Done nothing to stop her from making the same mistake. She sighed and slumped backwards as she gazed at the ceiling. The question was why, but her father was far away across the sea so she couldn't ask him. All she could do was wonder.


	21. Chapter 21

Authors Note: Finished writing this story so updates are now weekly.

* * *

Asami rapped her knuckles on the door twice then stepped back and folded her arms. The only answer to her knock was silence and after a minute she glanced to her right "Are you sure Korra's in there?"

"Yes, Miss Sato. After her visit with Unalaq she came straight here. I came by to clean and change the sheets, but she yelled at me to go away." Kika explained as she clasped her hands together instead of wringing them like she had done on previous occasions where Korra had given her trouble. "It's not the first time she's done that, but this time she didn't sound annoyed. I don't know what happened during her visit, but it really seems to have gotten her down. Honestly I would have preferred her to be cross."

"Right... " Asami muttered to herself. The last few days it seemed as if Korra had gotten used to Kika performing her duties, but now the waterbender had slid backwards. "Do you want to stay in your position as her maid or would you like me to assign someone else to her? I won't mind if you don't want to do it anymore. Korra's been pretty hard on you since she got here."

Kika threw a pensive look towards the door before shaking her head. "I won't pretend I'm not tempted to switch with someone else... but I was there when... Korra clearly has demons haunting her. If someone else took my position as her maid then it would only be a question of when they'd find out about them."

_'And that'd increase the chances of word spreading about Korra's condition.'_

Asami fought off the urge to let out a sigh of relief at her maid's decision. "Thank you, Kika. You're a saint. I'm sorry I threatened you that day. I let my emotions get the better of me and I said some things that I shouldn't have."

Kika lightly patted Asami on the shoulder. "It's all right, Miss Sato. That was a difficult situation for all of us and you were trying to protect your fiancée as best as you could in the heat of the moment. If there's nothing else then I'll take my leave and come back later." Kika curtsied before heading off down the hallway.

Asami pushed the door open and stepped inside before closing it behind her. Her gaze swept across the bedroom, but Korra was nowhere to be seen. Asami folded her arms across her chest as she gave the room a second look and her eyes landed on the bed. The blankets on it had been tugged loose and piled up into a large lump located precisely in the very center of the mattress. She walked forward and sat on one corner, the firm foam topper only slightly compressing beneath her weight. "Is something wrong, Korra?"

The lump shifted as one corner of the blankets lifted up and Korra peeked out at her. "Yes. It's starting to feel like nobody here cares about me as a person. They just want to use me to benefit themselves. Weyong, your dad, Unalaq." A morose Korra grumbled before retreating back beneath the layers of cotton and wool.

"What do you mean?"

"Weyong only wanted to talk to me because he saw a chance to make money. Your dad only cares about creating his United Republic and my uncle thinks I should be marrying someone from the Northern Water Tribe, not you."

Asami blinked once, then again, and her mouth opened as she held a finger up despite the gesture being pointless since Korra was in no position to see it. "I'm sorry, hold on a minute. Did you say your uncle? As in, Unalaq, the chief of the Northern Water Tribe, is _your uncle_. I… how is that even possible? You _literally_ lived on opposite sides of the planet from each other. I should know, I found you in the south."

"It's a long story and I don't want to tell it. The short version is that my dad is chief of the Southern Water Tribe and his brother is chief of the Northern Water Tribe."

_'Unalaq is her uncle. Korra must have learned that at the gala. No wonder she was distracted during dinner. Does that mean her father is from the Northern Water Tribe as well? Not to mention her uncle wants her to...'_

Asami's thoughts came to a screeching halt as the latter part of Korra's earlier sentence sank in. "He asked you to marry someone from the Northern Water Tribe? Why?"

"Unalaq thinks that North and South have been split apart for too long. If I married someone from the North then we could reunite into a single Water Tribe like we used to be a long time ago."

_'Is this my father's doing? It wasn't enough for him to steal my thunder at the gala. He wants to steal the woman I agreed to marry away from me and shut me out entirely. I was wrong... he's not a dirtbag. He's an asshole. Though this would only work if Korra cooperates and I really doubt he has any clue how stubborn she can be.'_

"So what about me? You said the others were all trying to use you, but I'm the person you're engaged to. Are you having second thoughts about us?" Asami asked the pile of blankets, albeit reluctantly. It was a necessary question, but one she found herself dreading the answer to.

"Not really. I mean you were using me in a way, but that was to try and repair your relationship with your father and that's a better reason than all the rest of them put together. You've also been completely honest with me and incredibly kind and patient. I couldn't have handled coming to Republic City if you weren't here to support me so no, I don't have any doubts about our engagement."

In a matter of mere moments Asami had learned of a threat to her engagement and then had her mounting anxiety laid to rest before its roots could dig themselves too deep. She and Korra were still going to get married. Almost two weeks ago that thought would have put her ill at ease, but now she found a wave of relief washing over her instead. Asami shook her head to clear it. She had come in here for a reason and following that particular line of thought would take the two of them towards an event best saved for later. Asami stood up, grabbed the blankets with both hands and pulled them off in one swift motion.

Korra grabbed her pillow and pressed it against her face to block out the light. "What are you doing?" She complained while curling up into a ball.

Asami dropped the blankets onto the floor while looking at Korra, dressed in the furs that she had brought from the South Pole, and all. "I was thinking we could take a trip into the city. Getting out and about is a better way for you to clear your head than wallowing in bed. Come on."

The waterbender let out a long suffering sigh and hugged the pillow against her chest as she looked up at Asami. "You're not going to give me a choice, are you?"

"Nope."

"Ugh, fine." Korra muttered as if this upcoming day-trip was the worst thing in the world to ever happen to her. "Give me a bit to get ready then I'll meet you at the garage."

It wasn't until a few minutes later that Korra arrived at the car. To Asami's surprise the waterbender had swapped the furs for a different outfit. Her loose fitting shirt was a pale lavender and not tucked into a pair of black pants that failed to make her legs look slimmer. She curved one eyebrow while pulling her keys out of her pocket. "You changed? May I ask why?"

Korra's stride faltered and she looked down at herself. "Is this a bad combination? I was doing what you said, light color with dark color."

"No, you look nice. I'm just curious why you changed is all. What you were wearing was fine." Asami quickly replied, not wanting to make the waterbender start second-guessing herself.

"Oh, I was just wearing that for tea with Unalaq since we're both waterbenders and all." Korra shrugged as if the matter was of no importance then pulled her door open and got into the car. "So where are we going this time?"

_'I guess she really doesn't care about fashion after all. I wonder if that'll change after she's been in Republic City for a while. It'll be fun to see what styles she ends up favoring and I could definitely offer some suggestions for what she should wear.'_

"You'll see."

Their destination was on the outskirts of downtown and it took up an entire city block to itself. At its base was a massive facade of white marble and towering pillars and above that multiple floor were marked by lines of arched windows. "Republic City Library." Korra read as she looked at the sign waiting for them past the terraced set of stairs.

"A library is-"

"I know what the word means." Korra interrupted, but not in an unkindly manner. "I just never thought I'd see a library before I came to this city. This place is pretty big. How many books are in there?"

"Nobody really knows for sure." Asami said as she began to climb the stairs and Korra tagged along at her side. "They've been adding to their collection since the library was built thirty years ago. Right now the best estimates are somewhere around two or three million items."

"Three million!?" Korra exclaimed, loudly enough that some of the other people entering or exiting the library glanced in her direction.

"It's a lot." Asami agreed. "It's only the second largest library in the world however. The largest is in Ba Sing Se, but that's not really a surprise. _Everything_ is bigger in Ba Sing Se."

Korra remained silent for a moment, likely trying to process that chunk of information, before she responded. "How do you get to three million? Are there really that many books in the world?"

"Well it's not all just books." Asami pulled on one of the handles and held it open for Korra to enter. The hall on the other side of the door was wide enough for several long tables to be lined up in a row and there were dozens of rows between them and spiraling staircases at the far side of the room. "There's music records, newspapers and photographs too."

"Huh." Korra grunted as she glanced around the large room. "How does this work? People come here when they want to read one of the books? Seems like it'd make more sense to buy their own and do it at home."

"They could, but the books here are free and people can check them out to take home. It's a public service anyone in Republic City can sign up for." Asami explained. "So, is there anything you'd like to learn more about? Any subject you want, this place will have books on it."

"I don't know..." Korra said after a moment's consideration. "My dad taught me how to read, but I've never used it that much. That newspaper article was the first thing I had read in years. I wouldn't even know where to begin."

Asami raised one hand and pointed towards a display stand holding multiple novels on its shelves, some large volumes with stiff covers while others were skinnier than a finger and bound in paper. Hanging on the wall next to the stand was a glass case with a single newspaper page inside of it. "Well those are all the current best sellers over there. How about you pick one from each genre and see which ones you like?"

Korra drifted over to the case and she began to silently read the lists on the paper inside. After a moment she glanced over at Asami. "So, what are you looking for? It was nice bringing me here, but you've got that look in your eye that only shows up when you're trying to solve a problem."

"Oh, well... guilty as charged." Asami admitted, feeling more than a little embarrassed at how easily Korra had read her intentions. "I've been having problems finding a metal that will work in the South Pole. My engineers and I have tried several different steel alloys, but they've all done poorly in impact tests after being exposed to extreme cold. I figured I'd come here and see if there's been any research done in this area."

Korra took a long step to her right and she picked up one of the novels from the top shelf. "Well, what about your ship? That was made of metal and it seemed to do all right from what I saw."

"My yacht?" Asami asked, taken by surprise by the suggestion. "I hadn't ever thought of that..."

_'The hull's made of aluminum, not steel. It's lighter and less prone to corrosion which makes it popular for ships and boats. I've read some people think it could be an alternative to steel in construction, but it hasn't been used in any major projects yet as far as I know. My ship handled the freezing water just fine, but can aluminum endure subzero temperatures? If it can then that means the answer was there all along and I didn't see it. Korra did though and she doesn't have a formal education. I guess the chess game wasn't enough for me to learn my lesson. She's clever and a quick thinker. I should bounce more problems off her in the future and see what she says.'_

That was something for another day. Right now Korra had some books to check out and Asami had more tests to run.


	22. Chapter 22

Korra placed her hand flat against the door and pushed it open as she stepped inside. It was the same room she had hosted Unalaq in, but it didn't feel like it. Every visible surface had been scrubbed and polished until it shone and the air was warmer thanks to the crackling fire that had lit. Kika had even gone to the trouble of replacing all the furniture. The red club chairs had been swapped for dark brown armchairs and the black wooden coffee table had been swapped for one of glass though it bore the same tea set as before. On another day she might have felt mildly pleased by the change, but right now it did nothing to alter her somber yet hopeful mood. Today was the first step towards banishing the afflictions that plagued her, regaining normalcy in her life. She had barely taken a seat when a knock came from the door. "Come in!" Korra called out, louder than she had meant to.

A diminutive woman with black hair and thin glasses entered the room. Like before she wore a black sweater and a gray pair of slacks. "Good morning, Korra. It's good to see you once again. I wasn't sure if you were going to accept my offer or not." Ralla stated as she took a seat opposite Korra.

"Me either." Korra admitted. "I don't understand you as a person, but you seem like you know what you're talking about with all this soldier's heart stuff. So, how do we... fix me, I guess

is the right word for it?"

Ralla stood up from her chair and she picked the kettle up off the coffee table and poured some of the hot water over the leaves already present in the cups. After a minute she lifted one cup up and held it out to Korra who took it with both hands as Ralla began to speak. "It appears I've failed to properly explain some things about the nature of my work. I very much would like the ability to fix my clients as you put it and perhaps someday a way will be found, but that is not the case today."

The cup of tea began to tremble in Korra's hands and the ever present anger lurking deep down below the surface began to boil over as she stared at Ralla. "What are you saying?" Korra rose to her feet and her voice increased in volume as she started to shout. "That I'm stuck like this? That I have to spend my life balancing on the edge of a knife, afraid that if I fall off, I'll lose control and hurt someone!?" She drew her arm back and flung it forward, sending the cup hurtling past Ralla towards the wall where it shattered into fragments of porcelain. "Why are you even here if you can't help me!?"

Ralla flinched a fraction as the cup sailed past her, but her face remained impassive as Korra yelled. Once the waterbender had finished ranting Ralla left her cup on the table as she sat down. "I did not say I couldn't help you, I said I couldn't fix you. There may not be a cure for soldier's heart, but there are ways to cope with your symptoms and over time they will begin to fade though they'll never truly be gone. That is what I can help you with if you're willing to let me."

Korra sagged back into her chair and covered her face with her hands, the rage vanishing in an instant and a sudden weariness taking its place. A few minutes ago she had been dreaming of being fixed and now suddenly reality had reared its ugly head. There was no cure, no end to the bouts of fear and anger. No making the nightmares stop. All she could do was endure. Korra dropped her hands onto the arms of her chair and she sat up straighter. "So, what _can_ you do to help me?"

"There are a number of different plans and treatment options available, but I don't know enough about your symptoms to recommend one just yet. Or you for that matter. All of my other clients are from Republic City so we have something in common that I can use as a starting point. However that starting point is lacking in this case since you're from a different part of the world with a culture I know next to nothing about. For right now how about you tell me a little about yourself." Ralla suggested.

Talking. The plan for today was just... talking. If that wasn't bad enough, it was Korra who had to do all the talking. About herself. She took a deep breath and leaned forward, interlacing her fingers together. "I'm not sure where to begin really. I was born in the south pole and my name is Korra, but you already know that. This is my twentieth summer and recently I got engaged to Asami Sato and came here to Republic City... uhh I'm a waterbender and a healer... I don't know what to say really."

Ralla reached into one of her pockets and pulled out a white square of cloth while taking off her glasses. As she began to rub the lens with the fabric she squinted at Korra. "How did you get to Republic City? Airship?"

"Airship?" Korra repeated, stunned by the idea. It was blindingly obvious to her that Republic City was more technologically advanced than her people, but if they had developed machines that could fly through the air then the gap was far wider than she had realized. "Uhh... no... we came on Asami's ship. A water ship, not an airship. I guess that would just be a ship."

"So you arrived by way of the harbor, I assume?" Ralla paused there, waiting until Korra nodded and she continued to speak. "Tell me, what did you think when you first saw Republic City?"

"It was... " Korra hesitated a moment as she looked for the right way to describe how she had felt on that first day. "The thing about the south pole is that it's barren. It's not flat, but you can see a really long way because there's nothing to get in the way. But here? The buildings are enormous and there's just so many of them in every direction. Don't get me wrong, Republic City looks spectacular from a distance, but I don't like actually being in the city. It's too confining and it makes me feel like I'm struggling to breathe."

"That's not surprising. People moving to Republic City from smaller towns or villages often have trouble coping at first." Ralla's gaze flicked towards the fire then her head swiveled towards the wall opposite it. "Though I think thismansion is a good place for you to be right now. Living in the city might be too jarring of a change."

"What makes you say that? Living in the city can't possibly be worse than what I've already gone through." Korra pointed out.

"That's true." Ralla admitted without any reluctance. "What I meant was that it's better for you to ease into life into Republic City instead of jumping straight into the deep end by living in the city itself. Even then it's still a huge change and it's not the only one you've made recently. You've also gotten engaged to Miss Sato. How are you feeling about that?"

How did she feel about her engagement? That was a more difficult question to answer and a far more personal one as well. Ralla had explained that she knew almost nothing about Korra, but the reverse was true as well. Korra knew almost nothing about Ralla, save her profession and the person who had hired her, Asami Sato. Ralla seemed like she genuinely wanted to help, but it was entirely possible that she could report the details of this conversation to Asami or even peoples unknown.

"You're wondering if you can trust me I see."

"What? No I..." Korra started to bluster then stopped as she looked back upwards to see a tiny grin on the other woman's face. Korra sighed and sagged back in her chair as she abandoned her bluff. "It's that obvious?"

Ralla shook her head as her face grew serious. "Only because I've seen the same expression from many of my other clients. They want help, but they're unsure whether they can trust me to keep the things they talk about secret or whether I might judge them for it. The answer I give in response to this question is two-fold. The first is that I am legally bound to silence unless you are an immediate danger to yourself and/or other people or if the police subpoena me as part of a criminal investigation. The second is that there's nothing you can tell me that I haven't heard before from another client."

Korra flinched as Ralla's words hit home. Regardless of how the horrors of war had impacted Korra's life, she was still just one person. Korra had no idea how many clients Ralla had, but each of them undoubtedly had stories of violence and death similar to her own and Ralla had listened to each and every one of them. Did Ralla have nightmares of her own? She could ask, but Korra had the sneaking suspicion the therapist wouldn't answer the question since they were here to talk about Korra.

"When I first met Asami, she was just a means to an end. I wanted to help my people and her offer seemed like a good way to do that. Since then we've spent a lot of time together and I've gotten to know her as a person. She's kind, tough, beautiful, a lot smarter than me and the most amazing person I've ever met. This marriage might be political, but she's not a bad person to be married to."

Ralla's fingers tapped against each other, though the rest of her remained completely still, as she gazed at Korra, After a moment she stirred and placed her hands in her lap. "That's some high praise for your fiancée. In fact the way you're describing her makes it sound like you think she's more than 'not a bad person to be married to.' Would it be out of line for me to ask if there might be something beyond a platonic relationship here?''

"All of our future sessions are going to be like this, aren't they?" Korra grumbled as she threw a sour look in the therapists direction. "I say something and you see right through it, and me, like that." She snapped her fingers for emphasis. "It's kinda annoying to feel so transparent, but it's kinda impressive at the same time. Are you naturally this perceptive or is this a skill you've built up over the years?"

"At the risk of sounding arrogant I would say I've always had a bit of a knack at reading people. Even so it took me years of studying and even more years of practice to get that skill to where it is today. One of the things I've had to learn is how people behave in therapy. Some people are straightforward, others need to be encouraged and there are a few who are resistant to talking about their issues. Sometimes it's anger, other times it's deflection like you're doing right now."

Korra flinched for a second time. Not only could Ralla see through Korra, she also wasn't afraid to call Korra out for trying to be evasive. She could dig in her heels, but that would only be a waste of time for both women and delay her getting any actual help. Korra rose from her chair and moved to stand next to the fireplace. She rested her forearm against the hearth as she stared into it, the flames inside twisting to and fro. "To answer your question, yes. I've fallen for her."

Korra admitted. "There's no such thing as a perfect person, but she might be the closest thing to it."

"Does she have any idea how you feel?"

"We've never talked about it, but it wouldn't make a difference if we did." Korra said in a quiet voice.

"Why not? I understand that you got engaged for political reasons, but that doesn't mean your relationship can't become genuine and it would bode well for the long term success of your marriage if it did."

Korra turned away from the fireplace to look at Ralla, her voice even softer than before. "Because I don't want to do that to her. She deserves better than someone who's... damaged like I am. Asami shouldn't have to spend the rest of her life dealing with my issues. It wouldn't be fair to her."

"Ah I see." Ralla murmured as she stood from her chair and moved to join Korra by the fireplace, her hands held behind her back. "You don't wish to be a burden. That feeling is rather common among my clients, but it is misguided and also too late in this case. You are a strong woman, Korra, but the thing you face now is best done so with the support of others. Asami is already trying to help you. It's why she asked me to see you, and she will continue to do so regardless of whether your relationship is platonic or romantic. So the question facing you now is which one you want it to be."

Ralla brought one of her arms in front of her and turned it to look at the watch on her wrist. "I think that's a good stopping point for today. When you're ready for another session, call my office and we'll schedule a time. Until then, good day, Korra."

Once Ralla had gone Korra turned her gaze back towards the fireplace, the therapist's words echoing in her mind. Ralla wasn't wrong, Korra knew. Asami had already gotten involved with her issues. On the day of the thunderstorm Asami had held her on the bathroom floor then, once Korra had grown calm enough to be left by herself, headed straight out into the city in search of what would turn out to be Ralla and this session that had just ended. Plus that involvement wasn't going to end due to the fact their lives were inextricably linked now that she had committed to marrying Asami. Korra had been expecting to work on her problems today, but instead she had been left with questions. One larger than all the rest. How did Asami feel towards her?

Only time would tell.


	23. Chapter 23

Asami pursed her lips as she came to a halt in the middle of the hallway and set what she was carrying down on the ground. Further down the hallway was a pair of swinging doors and behind them the kitchen. Nearby, behind another door, was the laundry room and the deep din of rotating metal barrels full of clothing, bed-sheets, towels and rags. It had been years since she had entered this wing and for good reason. On paper the entirety of the estate and mansion belonged to Asami and her father, but that wasn't quite how it worked in practice. It took nearly thirty people to run and maintain an estate of this size and all of those people needed somewhere to sleep and eat. To that end her father had set aside a wing of the mansion. An area they could call their own. Somewhere to relax when they were not working and most importantly of all, a place unfrequented by their employers. The last time she had come here had been when she was a girl in search of whatever treats she could pilfer from the kitchen. Now here she was again, a decade later, searching once more.

Kika was seated at one of the serving tables, a plate of chicken and greens in front of her, when Asami peeked her head through the doors. Asami glanced towards the cooks, all of whom were preoccupied with their tasks, then raised one hand to where the maid could see it and beckoned with her fingers. A frown creased Kika's face and she rose from her chair and stamped her way out into the hall. "What are you doing here, Miss Sato?"

"I know, I know. I'm not supposed to intrude on your part of the mansion, Kika. Thing is that I can't find Korra. I've looked all over and she's nowhere to be found. Do you know if she went into the city?"

Kika glanced past Asami towards the item on the ground and her face softened. "Ah, I see. Miss Korra said she was going to read outside, but not where she was going in the grounds. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

"No, that's all I wanted. Thank you, Kika."

As Kika headed back into the kitchen and her meal, Asami stooped next to the object she had set aside and lifted it back into her arms. A few minutes walk saw her exiting the mansion into the grounds surrounding it. On an ordinary day, at this time of year, the air would be crisp at best and likely near freezing. Today was an exception. The sun shone bright overhead and the air felt almost like spring. Asami hesitated as she looked to her left then her right at the recently mowed lawn. Korra was somewhere out here, but Asami had spent nearly half an hour searching the mansion for the waterbender and it might take her even longer to check behind the dozens of trees and bushes scattered throughout the grounds. Her eyes stopped searching as they came across a staff member on his hands and knees. Behind him was a clump of pots, each of them containing a stalk bearing petals splashed with shades of golden orange or pastel yellows. Asami's eyes flicked towards the row of holes in front of him before she called out his name. "Mazim!"

The gardener's spade came to a halt and he pushed himself up to his feet and turned around as she approached. "Yes, Miss Sato? Do you need my help with that?" He gestured at what he was holding with the spade.

Asami shifted her burden and shook her head. "That won't be necessary. I'm looking for Korra. Have you seen her by any chance?"

"I saw her maybe an hour ago heading off in that direction." Mazim turned and pointed northwards. "Would you like me to help you find her?"

"Thanks again, but no." Asami stated before casting an admiring glance towards the flowers. "By the way those snapdragons are lovely, you made a fine choice. I'll let you get back to it."

Asami's path towards the north saw her winding her way between hedges and past trees and bushes with flowers yet to bloom. After a couple of minutes she finally spotted Korra. The waterbender was sitting with her back against the trunk of a weathered oak tree with branches that had begun to grow long before men had settled the region. Korra had a book open in her hands and her knees were bent and ankles crossed. "There you are, Korra! It's taken me forever to find you."

Korra looked up from her book before glancing back down at it for a split second to check the page number and closing the novel. "Good morning, Asami." Her gaze shifted focus to the object in her fiancée's arms, a ceramic jar holding flowers with cream-white petals. "Moon flowers?"

"Yep." Asami cheerfully replied. "I realized the other day I never got you any kind of housewarming gift when you moved in. I wasn't sure what to get you at first, but then I remembered you had a lot of fun at the botanical gardens. It took me a few calls to find a place that sold them but I was able to get one of the kinds of flowers we saw there."

Korra set her book down and rose to her feet. She moved up towards Asami before leaning forward and sniffing the flowers. "Ah, that's really sweet of you. This flower smells nice. Thank you, Asami." After a few seconds she drew her head back and her head spun one way then another. "Can I keep this in my room or am I supposed to plant this out here somewhere since this pot has dirt in it?"

"I think you can keep it in your room though I don't know for how long." Asami said after a moment's consideration. "I don't know very much about plants either. I'd suggest you ask Mazim or one of the other gardeners for advice." She held the jar out and Korra took it with a crooked grin that had become more than a little familiar to Asami.

_'Well that was the easy part. Now onto the hard part. I've been thinking about this since that night at the pool, but I haven't come up with a good way to start this conversation. Guess I'll just muddle through and hope this doesn't backfire on me.'_

"Can I ask you something?" Asami began, her voice growing more serious with each word.

"What is it?" Korra answered, the grin on her face disappearing in an instant as she observed Asami's sudden change in demeanor.

Asami lowered herself to sit next to the spot where Korra had been and patted the ground beside her. She waited until Korra had set the pot down and taken a seat as well before speaking. "So, when you offered to sleep with me… is that how people view sex in the Southern Water Tribe? Like it's some kind of obligation or duty? You were comparing it to hunting or cleaning."

Korra rubbed at the back of her neck before shrugging uneasily. "Sorta? Sex isn't something people in my tribe are required to provide, but we also know it's a part of life and a need that has to be satisfied. You could say it's like a chore, except you know, sex is _fun_. A lot of fun once you're good at it. I had a few different women that I shared my bed with when I had the urge for it."

"Just women? Umm... do you mind if I ask if you're... you know." Asami hesitantly ventured. The offer Korra had made to Asami was evidence the waterbender liked women, but the way Korra was talking now made it seem as if she wasn't interested in the other gender.

Korra blinked at Asami before laughing abruptly. "Oh right, I've only mentioned women. Here's the thing. I'm attracted to men as well, but I've never been with one. I'm arguably the strongest waterbender in the Southern Water Tribe and one of our best warriors as well. Getting pregnant from sleeping with a man was a risk I couldn't afford to take. Me not being able to fight would have hurt us a lot."

_'Is there anything in her past that _wasn't _affected by the war? I suppose not. This doesn't tell me what I was really trying to figure out though. Did she offer to sleep with me because she was trying to provide for me or were there real feelings behind her offer? Aaaagh. Why are you so difficult to read, Korra? You're making me want to rip my hair out. I need to grow a spine and just ask how she feels, but I don't want to scare her off or hear her say she doesn't.'_

Korra picked up a crimson hued leaf up off the ground and her index finger traced the veins in it as she waited. Once Asami had snapped out of her latest reverie Korra let the leaf flutter back to earth to rejoin the others of its kind that had already fallen. "Since we're having a serious conversation, do you mind if I ask you a question of my own?"

"Go ahead."

"So I've been told that a bunch of the United Republic's laws are based around contracts. That would include this alliance between your people and mine as well as our marriage. I don't have a problem with that, but I haven't signed anything or even seen any kind of contract for that matter." Korra pointed out with a vaguely disconcerted look on her face. "Why? You're too smart to forget something as important as that. Not to mention I've been hanging around here for the last couple of weeks. I thought I was supposed to be a member of the Council, not your house-guest."

Asami grimaced and let out a frustrated sigh. "You're right. You not signing anything yet is intentional and it wasn't my decision for what it's worth. In order for the Council's plan to work we need to get all four nations to accept our offer. If we don't have them all then the ones left out could feel isolated and might become aggressive. Right now we just have you and maybe Unalaq. The Fire Nation's still fighting a civil war and the Earth Queen hasn't sent a reply. There's been talks with the Air Nomads, but their Elders don't make decisions very quickly."

"And what happens to the United Republic if they don't agree?"

"I don't know." Asami admitted. "We've basically seceded from the Fire Nation at this point and I doubt they'll appreciate losing their colonies over here." She shivered as a feeling of dread began to bite and scratch at her insides. There was no way of predicting what kind of person would become the next Fire Lord, but if they were half as cruel as their predecessor then their response would be terrible and bloody.

Korra raised her hand and settled it on Asami's far bicep. She pulled Asami closer until their shoulders were pressed together and squeezed her arm reassuringly. "Maybe not, but whatever happens I'll be here. I know I've already said this before, but let me say it again to be clear. I'm going to marry you, contract or no contract and you'll have me by your side whatever comes."

The moment the words left Korra's lips the trepidation in Asami's gut dissipated in the blink of an eye. Uncertainty had been hovering over Asami ever since her ship had left Republic City's harbor for the south pole. She hadn't known if she would be able to make contact with the Southern Water Tribe, whether they'd accept her offer or what kind of person she'd be engaged to if they did. The overall success of their plan had been up in the air as was the future of the city she called home. Despite all of that, this repeated reassurance meant that Asami had one constant she could rely on. Korra.

Asami's head dipped to the side until her cheek was resting against the waterbenders it she could feel strength welling outwards and into her, leaving a trail of warmth in its wake. _'Well, I guess _that _particular plan is going to happen now. I just have to decide when.'_


	24. Chapter 24

Korra cracked the knuckles on her right hand then her left before stretching her neck towards both shoulders, each movement accompanied by a quiet popping sound. She pushed her way through the doors to find a kitchen full of bustling cooks clad all in black underneath white aprons. Some stood in front of pans full of crackling meat while others stirred pots of noodles.

Kika was already present, much like the last time Korra had come in here and she glanced over her shoulder nonchalantly before spinning on the spot. "Miss Korra? Your breakfast will be ready in a few minutes if you want to go back to your room and wait." She suggested, in a tone that was almost, but not quite sickeningly sweet.

"Normally I would, but I have a favor to ask." Korra replied, the doors swinging shut behind her as she moved further inside, her gaze sweeping over the cooks. "I need someone to teach me how to cook."

After Korra finished speaking the cook nearest to her, a stout man with fat arms and short legs peeked upwards from his station as his serrated knife came to a halt in the middle of sawing a loaf of sourdough into pieces. He and Kika exchanged a glance then the maid moved closer towards Korra. "I'm sorry, did you say you want to learn to cook? Why?" Kika inquired, puzzled by the request. "The cooks here are professionals and can make anything you want."

"That's an oven, right?" Korra raised her arm with one finger extended.

Kika turned to look where Korra was pointing before returning her attention to the waterbender. "Not quite. The whole thing is actually called a range. That part there is the stovetop and the area beneath it, with the glass window, is the oven. Why do you want to learn to cook, Miss Korra?"

Korra's eye drifted between the pots and pans on the stovetop then she leaned to the side to get a better look at the stove window, past the legs of the cook standing in front of it. "I'm not sure when it's going to happen, but Asami and I are planning to ship ovens or ranges or whatever they're called to the South Pole. Problem is that my people won't know how to use them. I figured if I learned then I would be able to show them. Now might not be a good time, but I kinda also wanted to surprise Asami too. Is there anything simple that I could make and take to her?" Korra added as she hopefully looked around the room.

"Would it be alright if I borrowed one of the stovetops, Gyema?" Kika inquired with a look towards the cook who had been slicing bread.

Gymea shrugged and irritably flicked his knife towards an unused stovetop in the corner of the kitchen. "If that means she'll stop coming in here then sure. Just stay out of the way and clean up after yourselves." He gruffed before getting back to his task.

"Wait by the stove for a bit, Miss Korra. I need to fetch the ingredients you'll need." Kika disappeared through a doorway near the back of the kitchen that Korra hadn't noticed before. When she returned Kika had several metal items stacked on top of each other in her arms along with a piece of paper. A round container, several spoons attached to a ring, a bowl, a cup with markings on the side, a spoon with an extra long handle and a thick pan whose inside was discolored as if it had been burnt. She set them down on the counter next to the stove. "So these are the utensils you'll need for this recipe. Give me a bit to go get the ingredients."

After Kika had headed back through the door Korra picked the set of spoons up by their ring. She spread the spoons out and brought them closer to her face as she examined them. At first glance they had all seemed the same, but on closer inspection the bowls of the spoons were all different sizes and they all had the letters 'TSP' or 'TBSP' and numbers stamped on the handles. She set the spoons down and picked up the cup. Like the spoons it was stamped with a number on the handle, but its letters said 'CUP' instead. When Kika returned she was carrying several tall glass jars, each with a piece of tape labeling their contents on them. Salt, sugar, baking powder, flour. She set them down then made a bee-line for a fridge and returned with a pitcher of milk and a saucer of butter and a white egg. "Here's everything you'll need, Miss Korra."

Kika pointed at the stovetop and the four distinct coils of metal on it as her instruction began. "So here's this works. Electricity goes through these burners here which makes them heat up so you can cook. Now the first thing we need to do is measure out all the dry ingredients you need and mix them together in this bowl here. That paper has the measurements you need."

Korra leaned forward as she peered at the directions written on the piece of paper then back at the utensils Kika had fetched. "Okay so that's obviously a cup." She pointed at the object in question before picking up the ring of spoons again. "TSP and TBSP is short for teaspoons and tablespoons right?"

"Yes. While you're doing that I'll melt the butter for you since that's the trickiest part of this." Kika emptied the saucer of butter onto the pan and set it on a burner before turning the respective dial.

"Okay, so a cup and a half of flour." Korra murmured as she scooped flour out of its jar and dumped it into the bowl. "Teaspoon of salt, three teaspoons baking powder and a tablespoon of sugar." She frowned at the bowl before grabbing the last remaining utensil, the long spoon, and began to sift the powdery ingredients together.

By the time Korra had finished Kika was patiently waiting, the pan now holding a yellow liquid. "Now we add the wet ingredients." She lifted the pan and poured its contents into the bowl. "You'll need a cup of milk and after that you add the egg."

Korra frowned as she looked down at the white oval then turned her gaze towards Kika. "An egg?" She asked, skeptical about the thought of adding that to whatever it was that she was making. "Those can make you sick if you eat them."

"That's why we cook them. The heat kills the salmonella bacteria." Kika pointed out.

"The what?" Korra's brow furrowed at the unfamiliar word. "Like the fish? No, never mind. I'll ask Asami later." She picked the egg up and cracked it on the rim of the pan without being prompted then emptied the yolk inside into the bowl. Last she poured a cup of milk in. "Do I mix this all together now?"

"Yes. You'll also want to mush the lumps against the sides of the bowl while you're stirring. You want the batter to be as smooth as possible."

Korra grabbed the long spoon once again as she began to stir. As her spoon circled the bowl the dry and wet ingredients began to coalesce into a single thick liquid. Korra repeatedly pushed the lumps towards outwards where they disintegrated as she ground them against the sides of the bowl. Once it was ready she poured some of the batter onto the pan at Kika's urging. "So the trick here is that you flip it once the edges are browning and the bubbles start disappearing on top."

"Flip it with what?" Korra asked as she looked around at the stove and nearby counters. "I'm not going to grab it with my fingers if the pan is hot."

"Oh, that's my mistake. I'll be right back." Kika scurried off through the door once again and a moment later she returned with a wooden utensil in hand. It had a long handle and a flat square at the end. "Here's a spatula. You slide it underneath the pancake then flip it over to cook the other side. This one is ready to turn over."

She handed the utensil to Korra and the waterbender flipped the pancake to reveal brown rings burnt into the surface of the side now facing up. After a minute it had finished cooking through and Korra deposited onto a plate that Kika had fetched. "This isn't too bad." Korra remarked as she got started on the next one. By the time she had finished there were four pancakes roughly the width of her hand on the plate along with another saucer of butter to spread on top. Korra twisted one of the dials on the front to turn the burner off. "Thank you for teaching me, Kika. This was really helpful."

She picked the plate up and started to walk away, but hesitated before taking a couple of steps and turned. "Uhh, one last thing. I also wanted to say I'm sorry. Since I got here I've been difficult and rude to you. You're just trying to do your job and well... I haven't made it easy on you. I'm not used to having people wait on me like you do, but I promise to try and be nicer to you from now on."

"It's all right, Miss Korra. There's always an adjustment period between house staff and a new employer. The bumps will smooth out as time goes by. Speaking of which, the longer you stay here the colder those will get. You don't want Miss Sato to eat cold pancakes do you?." Kika waved her hands, urging Korra to move away from the stove and towards the door.

Korra bit back the urge to laugh and shake her head as she exited. Kika's reason for urging her to leave wasn't a bad one, but it was just an excuse. Gyema had spoken about Korra not coming in the kitchen again and Kika had all but shoved Korra out of the kitchen the last time she had been in there. For some reason the staff didn't want her in there. She could go back in and ask, but there was someone else who likely could answer that question and it was where she wanted to go anyways.

Asami was seated at the dining table in her bedroom when Korra entered. She glanced up from the newspaper on it and a small, but puzzled, smile creased her face. "Pancakes? I don't remember asking for those and why are you carrying them? Where's the rest of my breakfast?" Asami leaned to the side as she looked towards the door, clearly expecting a cart to be wheeled in.

"On its way, I guess or maybe they're still making it.." Korra said with a glance over her shoulder towards the door. "I cooked this for you though." She moved forward and set the plate down next to Asami's newspaper.

"You made pancakes?" Asami asked in disbelief as she rose out of her chair to get a better look at the contents of the plate. "I thought you didn't know how to cook. Have you been taking lessons?"

"Just one today." Korra sat down in one of the other chairs and and fidgeted as she spoke. "I figured I should learn how to use an oven because my people are going to have to do the same thing. Kika showed me how to make pancakes and that's the result." She waved her hand at the plate sitting between her and Asami.

"I'm also sure it has nothing to do with me getting you flowers yesterday either." Asami gently teased, eliciting a blush from the waterbender. "That's a nice thought, but I was planning to include instruction manuals and recipes in the shipment. Wouldn't be much point in sending them ranges otherwise. Anyways, thank you for the pancakes." Asami looked down at the plate again then chuckled. "I don't suppose you brought a fork did you?"

Korra blinked as she looked down at the plate again. Four pancakes, some butter and no utensils. She covered her face with both hands and groaned as the mistake she had made just now sank in on her. "Crap. I can't believe I forgot that. I was too focused on making sure I got the pancakes right to think about anything else. I can go get a fork from the kitchen if you want." Korra offered as she started to rise from her chair.

"No, no. It's fine. The staff will have some forks with them when they bring our breakfast here. Thank you for the pancakes, Korra. It's really sweet." Asami's eyes flicked towards her newspaper before she leaned forward, placing her elbows on the table as she rested her chin on her fingers. "I have a question. How would you feel about going camping with me for a day or two?"

"Camping? Like a hunting trip?"

"Sorta, but we won't be hunting anything. Just the two of us out in the wilderness. Sleeping in a tent, going on hikes, that sort of thing."

Korra leaned back in her chair and her gaze began to wander as she considered the question. Her eyes paused on the topmost sheet of the newspaper. It was upside down to her, but it was still easy to tell what section Asami had been reading. The weather forecasts for the next few days, each of which was predicted to be clear skies day and night. "Sure." She agreed eventually. "It'd be nice to see more of the area around here. So far it's just been this mansion and parts of Republic City."

For a split second Asami looked anxious as she bit her lip, but then the look was gone. "Great. Let's leave here at two then. It'd be best to get to the area before the sun sets so we have time to pitch the tent and all that." She reached across the table and squeezed one of Korra's hands. "I'll make sure everything is ready before we leave. You just remember to bring a few changes of clothes just in case you need them."

Asami squeezed Korra's hand a second time before letting go. As she straightened up Asami bit her lip again then her attention shifted as a knock came from the door. "Ah good, something to eat. I'm pretty hungry."


	25. Chapter 25

Asami drummed her fingers against the frame of the vehicle as she stared into its trunk. On a normal day Asami would be driving her convertible, but that particular vehicle was a poor choice for this particular excursion. It had been designed for driving on the concrete paths of Republic City and was ill-suited for any other kind of surface. Just as importantly it lacked the storage space necessary for this trip. The jeep in front of her, on the other hand, was designed for handling rougher terrain and it easily contained all the cloth bundles and square or rectangular containers in front of her. She raised her other hand and pointed at each item in turn as she ran through the checklist of things they would need. "_Tent, tent poles, stakes, tarps, food coolers, stuff to start a fire, stuff to put out a fire, my spare clothes, first aid kit just in case, lamps, spare batteries canteens, cooking gear, mosquito repellent, tick repellent, animal repellent, sleeping bags, pillows, blankets, toiletries. Now all I need is Korra's stuff and Korra herself."_ As if on cue, the waterbender appeared at that moment, a backpack slung over her shoulder.

"Back to those?" Asami asked in surprise as she looked at Korra. The waterbender had ditched the clothes from Liying's shop, instead opting for the hides and leathers, armbands included, that she had been wearing when they first met. Asami was wearing her favorite outfit, a red and black jacket though she had opted for trousers instead of a skirt. Ticks would be waiting out there.

"Yep. You said it might get chilly out there and this is the warmest outfit I have. Think I should go get my parka?"

"No, I don't think so. The forecast said it won't get that cold, but I have a spare jacket in case you end up needing it. Are you ready to go?"

"Got all my clothes and some books in here." Korra pointed her thumb at the backpack she was wearing. "So are we going anywhere in particular that I should know about or are we just heading out into the wild?"

"A little of both. There's a particular area we're going to, but it's out in the middle of nowhere on the other side of the mountains. I'll explain why after we get there. Did you want to get one of your books out to read before we go? This trip is going to take a couple of hours."

"Sure." Korra replied as she swung the pack off her shoulder and unzipped one of the pockets. She pulled a novel out, zipped it back up then tossed it on top of the pile. "What about you? Won't you be bored driving for two hours? I can read out loud if you want." Korra offered.

Asami paused as she opened her door and glanced across the car's roof at Korra. "Sure. That'd be nice. Thank you, Korra. It'll make this trip go a lot faster. I should have installed a radio in this car, but I use it so rarely that it's never been very high on my list of things to do." She waited until Korra had fastened her seatbelt and begun to read, before the car backed out of the garage and headed towards the exit to the estate.

Two hours later they had winded their way past the southern edge of the mountain range,turned north until the paved road had dwindled into a dirt trail and in time even that had vanished. Their destination was near the base of a mountain, in a grassy field dominated by pieces of the mountain that had broken off and tumbled their way here. Most were no larger than a person's head, but a few dwarfed their jeep and had rested long enough to be covered in lichen. At one end of the field, close to where they had parked, was a creek descending somewhere higher up on the mountain. Asami opened the trunk and pulled out a cloth tube nearly as tall as she was and hoisted it onto her shoulder before retrieving a thin black sheet of glossy material with her other hand. "Would you mind grabbing the poles, Korra?" She pointed at a second, thinner bundle with her chin.

Korra grabbed the cloth bag in question and glanced at it then the larger bag in Asami's arms. "I've never set up a tent before, just torn them down. This will be an interesting change of pace. How do we do this?"

Asami walked over to a flat and clear patch of ground before setting the tube to the side and unfolded the tarp out on the ground before speaking. "It's not complicated, but it can be a little tricky if the poles decide they don't want to cooperate. First thing is I'll get these laid out while you unpack the poles."

Asami went back to the bag and pulled on its drawstring before tugging a rolled up tube of fabric out, but not without having to put her foot on the closed end of the bag. She set it on a corner of the black sheet and began to unfold then unroll the green tent until it was spread out over the tarp. At the same time Korra pulled out a few different sets of thin metal tubes connected together by a cord running through each of them. She contemplated them for a second before inserting one end of a tube into the metal connector adjacent to it then repeating the act until it formed a single long and skinny pole. "So what am I supposed to do with this now?" Korra asked as she started to put the next pole together.

"There's loops on the outside of the tent there, there and there and one over here." Asami pointed at rows of cloth loops running across the top of the collapsed tent. "You just slide the pole through the loops like this then hammer one of the stakes into the ground to keep it in place." She glanced upwards towards the sky. "Let's hurry, it won't be long before the sun dips below the mountain and it'll get dark here real fast. Let's get as much done before then as we can."

Thirty minutes later and only a sliver of the sun could still be seen above the mountain peak and even that was fading fast. Dusk had settled upon them in short order and the air had begun to cool. Their tent had been raised into the shape of a dome and their sleeping gear laid out in it. Additionally, Asami had lined the perimeter with pellets to repel any wild fauna that might consider the two of them a potential meal for the taking. Finally Korra had, at Asami's direction, collected stones, arranged them into a ring and placed some of the logs Asami had brought along in the center of said ring. Next to the ring went a pair of folding chairs and one of the coolers containing their food. Asami rummaged through the back of the trunk before she found the boxes of matches she had brought. "Can you help me find some tinder or kindling, Korra? Leaves, twigs, dead grass, small branches, just make sure it's dry."

After the two of them had collected enough Asami piled them at the bottom of her logs and struck one of the matches. She lowered it into the kindling and a tiny flame sprouted from it, quickly growing larger and larger until it began to lap at the wood up above. The logs began to smoke and soon the flame spread into them, lending a warm glow to the dark that was growing around them. Asami glanced to her right only to see a look of disquiet on Korra's face as she watched the fire burn. "Are you okay, Korra?" She asked, a mounting concern beginning to rise in her chest.

"I"m fine... just feels strange to watch wood burn. I know it's not rare in my head, but twenty years of thinking it's a precious resource doesn't go away overnight." She gave Asami a smile meant to be reassuring. "I'll manage. So, what now?"

Asami popped open the cooler and pulled out a couple of bags, one full of skinny wheat buns and the other full of hot dogs. "Now we eat dinner. Here's your skewer." She handed a skinny metal rod with a sharp point on the end to Korra.

"What am I supposed to do with this?"

Asami opened the bag of hot dogs to pull one out and skewered the pink piece of meat all the way through from one end to the other. "Like that. Then you hold it above the fire." She dangled the business end of her skewer over the flames as she spoke. "Just remember to slowly rotate it so it cooks all the way through."

A few seconds later Korra had skewered her own hot dog and positioned it above the fire as well. After a minute of rotating her skewer she glanced sidelong at Asami. "How do I know when it's done?"

"The color mainly. The longer you cook it the darker it'll get. Some people like a bit of black, others prefer to keep it on the reddish side. A good rule of thumb for knowing when it's ready is that the hot dog will start to get puffy like mine is right now." Asami grabbed one of the buns and used it to slide her blistered hot dog off of the skewer. "Next part is deciding what condiments to put it. I don't have any idea what you'd prefer so I brought a few. Mustard, relish, ketchup, mayo. I'd suggest trying each and seeing which ones you like or which ones you don't."

"Which one do you like?" Korra asked as she pulled her hotdog away from the flames to check it.

"Mustard." Asami said as she spread some of the yellow substance in question onto both sides of her bun with a butter knife.

"Well I'll start with that one then. You always have good taste." Korra said as she got a bun of her own. Asami handed her the jar of mustard and knife before taking her first bite, an act soon mirrored by Korra. The waterbenders eyes widened and she was quick to chew and swallow. "Oh! This is great! I really like how it's crispy on the outside, but juicy in the middle. The mustard gives it a nice kick too."

Asami smiled softly at the unabashed glee on Korra's face as she continued to eat. Hot dogs roasted over a fire was as simple a meal as it got, but it was still more than enough to get Korra excited. After Korra had finished off three more dogs, each with a different condiment, Asami retrieved a couple of cardboard boxes and another bag from the cooler. "So what was your favorite condiment?"

"I liked the ketchup best." Korra decided after a moment. "I didn't care for the relish or the mayo. The mustard was a close second though."

"Ketchup, huh? I think that's the most popular choice." Asami remarked as she opened the bag up and pulled out a round white cylinder. "Okay, so here's something I know you definitely haven't tried yet. These are marshmallows." She held the bag out to Korra to get a marshmallow then Asami stuck her marshmallow onto the end of her skewer. Asami grabbed a pair of plates, handed one to Korra, then opened the other two boxes. One contained bars of chocolate and the other stiff brown crackers. She cracked some of the bars and crackers into pieces, the crackers larger than the chocolate.

"It's like making a sandwich basically. The crackers are the bread and the chocolate and marshmallow go inside. But first-" Asami swung her skewer out above the campfire much like she had been doing earlier. "-we cook the marshmallow."

Korra did a double-take before she imitated Asami, but with her skewer much closer to the logs. Its surface began to turn black as it charred and seconds later it burst into flames. A panicked Korra jumped out of her chair and she began to violently shake the skewer to try and put out the fire and the flaming marshmallow flew off and into the fire. "Ah crap, I messed that up." She muttered after sitting back down.

"No worries, we have plenty of marshmallows." Asami pulled her skewer back and held it up so she could inspect her handiwork. The white surface of the marshmallow had turned a golden brown and the inside was gooey even if she couldn't see it. She placed her chocolate chunk onto one of the graham crackers before using the other cracker to squish her marshmallow on top of that and sliding her skewer out. "And that's how you make s'mores."

"S'mores? That's a weird name." Korra commented as she fetched herself another marshmallow from the bag between them and skewered it. This time she kept the marshmallow up higher and before long it had shifted from white to golden. Another moment passed as Korra arranged her pieces and took a large bite. "Yum! Yum, yum, yum." She exclaimed once she had swallowed the concoction down. "It's crunchy and gooey at the same time and of course it has the most important thing in it. _Chocolate_. Is this something you came up with, Asami?"

Asami laughed and shook her head. "No, s'mores are a super common camping treat. I don't know who came up with it, but they've been around for a long time. I'm glad you like them though. It's not a proper camping trip if you don't make s'mores."

After that both women fell silent and the only sound was the crackling of the fire and the rustling of their chairs as they continued to make and eat s'mores. Once she had finished Korra stretched her arms up into the air. "Well that was tasty. Any other treats you plan on surprising me with, Asami?"

"Surprise, yes. Treat, no." Asami said as she began to put their foodstuffs away in the cooler then picking it up. "Would you mind putting the fire out?"

As Korra booked it towards the creek Asami made her way to the jeep and retrieved another blanket from the trunk after putting the cooler away. When Korra returned there was a mass of water floating above one outstretched hand. She flicked her fingers towards the fire and part of the mass bulged outwards into a tendril that plunged against the logs. The flames flickered then vanished as the water continued to spread through the fire, dousing all the pieces of charcoal and dredging up dirt to mix with the ashes as well. Once she was done, Korra turned on the spot as she peered into the darkness, her eyes not yet adjusted to the lack of light now that the fire was out. "Where are you, Asami?"

"I'm over here. Follow my voice." Asami called out.

Korra slowly made her way over to the blanket, each step tentative for fear of loose rocks, before looking at her fiancée. "Why are you lying down?"

Asami patted the ground next to her and after a second Korra had lain down on her back. "I have something to confess. Do you remember what you said when we were at the fondue place?" Korra shook her head wordlessly. "You told me that you liked looking at the stars, but you couldn't see them in Republic City. I made a mental note about it, but couldn't do anything at that moment. However, when we went to the library I wasn't just doing research on how metals behave in subzero temperatures. I was also doing astronomical research."

"Astronomical? You were looking on stuff on the stars?"

"Yep. I wanted to find out if there were any nearby areas without light pollution. One of the librarians was able to point me towards a list of dark zones in the area. It turns out these mountains are tall enough, that they block out the light from Republic City so you get an unpolluted view of the sky. At least we will in a bit once our eyes catch up."

Bit by bit as Asami's pupils dilated, gleaming specks appeared in ever growing numbers above her. The light of far flung stars traveling across the almost incomprehensible distances of space and joining with others to fill the sky with countless lights. She shivered as she gazed up at them, a sudden feeling of awe overwhelming her. Asami extended her hand to the side, brushing against Korra's trousers as she searched for the waterbender's hand.

Korra raised her hand up off the ground, taking Asami in hers and interlaced their fingers together. "This is beautiful, Asami... but I don't recognize any of these stars. Is it because I'm in a different part of the world?"

"Yep. The northern and southern hemispheres see different stars and have different constellations." Asami lifted her free hand up into the sky and she pointed at one set of stars. "That one there is the Hunter and over there is the Dragon" Asami added after her finger shifted eastwards from one constellation to the other. "There's a myth that says the two of them fought a battle long ago, but neither could best the other. The battle lasted for decades and it raised up the mountains, turned forests into deserts and carved rivers through the land. Eventually the spirits grew tired of their fighting and flung them into the heavens where they could fight each other for all eternity without harming anyone else."

"Do you think that's true?"

Asami shook her head as her hand dropped back to her side. "Not really. It's a romantic story, which I appreciate, but just a story."

"Mmm... tell me another one." Korra murmured.

"I don't actually know any other stories about the constellations." Asami admitted, suddenly regretting she hadn't studied mythologies more in the past if only for the sake of this moment. "I can point some others out." Asami raised her hand again and she began to trace out the patterns in the sky. "There's the Hawk. The Serpent is over there. That bright one there is the North Star. Sailors once used it as a reference point to help navigate the sea. Oh, take a look at that red one that's moving. It's one of the other planets though I can't remember its name."

A gust of wind blew its way through the campsite and Korra scooted towards Asami until their sides were almost touching. '_She's so close now. Can't be that she's cold because it feels fine to me, wind or no, and she's used to way colder temperatures than I am. Should I start the talk now? I don't want to spoil the mood, but I don't think I'll get a better chance. Here goes nothing…'_

"Korra, can we address the elephant in the room?" Asami asked, in as gentle a voice as she could muster.

"Elephant in the room? What elephant in the room? There's no elephant in the room." Asami couldn't make out the features on Korra's face through the blackness, but the newly arrived waver to Korra's voice was enough of a tell to let Asami know that the waterbender's face had turned red.

"I disagree. The elephant's there and it's a pretty big one. Ever since the dinner I feel like we've been dancing around it. Our marriage might be arranged, but I'm starting to wonder if there might actually be something more to it than that. That night after the gala, I said I thought you were amazing and I meant it. You're the most incredible person I've ever met. The thing is that I haven't been able to figure out what your feelings towards me are. You've made it a point to reassure me that we're going to get married, but you haven't gone any further than that. There's been a couple of points where it might have come up, but you've pulled back each time and in one case you straight up ran out of the room." Asami flushed as the realization that she was starting to ramble set in. "Okay, let me just say it. Do you... like me at all, Korra? As more than just a friend or the other person in a political marriage?"

Asami's question was met with silence, interrupted only by the rustle of Korra scooting away and setting her hands on her chest. The seconds slowly ticked by, each accompanied by the sensation of Asami's heart sinking lower and lower. _'Did I read this wrong? It always felt like she was happy to see me and she was very affectionate and warm whenever we were together. She made me pancakes this morning and she was practically cuddling me just now. It's going to be a long night and drive back to Republic City. Maybe I should get her a place in the city after this. Things would be really awkward otherwise...'_

"Yes."

"What?" Asami's head snapped towards Korra as the silence was finally broken.

"The answer to your question is yes. I like you as more than just a friend, Asami. Thing is that I don't think pursuing this would be fair to you."

"What?" Asami exclaimed, her brow furrowing as she turned her head towards Korra. "How could us being in a real relationship be a bad thing? I mean, sure it might not work out, but that's the risk of any relationship. I think we should at least try before giving up on it entirely."

"It wouldn't be fair because you deserve better than me. You saw how I was after the thunderstorm. The next thunderstorm is going to make me freak out and fly into rages where I struggle to control myself. So will the ones after that. I'm going to have more nightmares that make me wake up screaming and have trouble sleeping in general. Having to deal with that isn't something I can ask of anyone." Korra explained, her voice more than downcast Asami had ever heard it.

"I did see. Did you think I just forgot?" Asami demanded as she pushed herself on an elbow and turned towards Korra. "I know about your problems and the truth is that I want to be with you anyways. Soldier's Heart might be something you're struggling with, but it doesn't define you as a person. You're more than that. Much, much more. You're strong, you're beautiful and a wonderful person. I know a relationship won't be easy. There'll be anger and pain and tears ahead, but it's a price I'm willing to pay. I want to be with you."

"Do you really mean that?"

"I do. In fact I'm willing to prove it. You once offered your body to me and I turned you down. The reason was that I'm not one for casual sex. It's my turn to make that same offer now. If you want my body, then you can have it. I'd enjoy sleeping with you because of how I feel about you. If you don't, then I'm fine with that as well. Either way I'll be in the tent."

Asami rose up to her feet and stumbled her way across the field, the tent not being visible until she was almost upon it. She removed her boots and dropped them onto a small tarp next to the entrance before padding her way to the electric lamp and switching it on. She grimaced and squeezed her eyes shut, the light-bulb seeming impossibly bright compared to the almost complete darkness outside. Bit by bit she opened them back up, giving her eyes time to adjust. Once they were all the way open Asami glanced towards the tent flap then sighed as she sat down on the thick blanket covering the floor of the tent.

For the most part this trip had gone exactly as Asami had planned it. They had arrived with enough time to set the camp up before the sun set, dinner and dessert had been a success and Korra had enjoyed being able to gaze at the stars once again even more. Then her momentum had faltered. Korra had admitted to having feelings for Asami, but was reluctant about entering into a relationship with her. At that point Asami had laid her remaining cards down on the table. Korra would be entering the tent at some point tonight. The question was what would happen after that and all the butterflies in her stomach could do at this point was wait.

Several agonizingly long minutes passed before the tent flap rustled and Korra entered. She shielded her face with her hand and stood until she had adjusted to the light as well. Korra's hand dropped and her gaze made its way to Asami. She crossed the distance between them and took a knee. Her hands cupped Asami's cheeks and she leaned in, bringing their lips together. Asami's eyes widened in surprise. Korra was tougher than anyone she had ever met, but those lips were wonderfully soft and the kiss remarkably gentle. Korra pulled her head back, but kept her hands where they were as their eyes remained locked onto each other. "I don't know how this is going to end, but I'm willing to try."

Asami smiled and let out a shaky laugh that was half a sigh of relief as her anxiety melted away. Her gambit had paid off. Their relationship didn't just exist on paper any longer. Korra wanted to be with her for real. She moved her head forward and kissed Korra back. "Well, that answers one question. What about the other?"

Korra's fingers curled and their tips slowly trailed their way down her cheeks, along the side of her neck and eventually her palms settled onto the swell of Asami's breasts. "I want to see all of you, Asami, and I want you to see all of me." Korra breathed in a husky whisper. "I want to hear you moan my name just like I'm going to moan yours."

For a long moment Asami stared dumbly at Korra as her cheeks reddened. Then her hands shot into motion as she grabbed at the topmost clasp of her jacket. Her fingers fumbled as she worked at the clasp, trying to undo it, but without any progress. Korra chuckled and she grabbed a wrist and gently pulled it away. "Allow me. I want you naked as soon as possible."

Asami's hands lowered to her sides and her face continued to grow even redder as Korra's fingers deftly undid the clasps and removed her jacket. The garment fell to the side and the rest of Asami's clothes followed in short order. Asami trembled nervously as she rested her hands on her stomach, her body fully exposed to Korra's gaze for the very first time. "So here I am. Do you like it?"

Korra didn't reply right away, instead letting her gaze wander over pale skin riddled with goosebumps, a pair of perky breasts and the narrow strip of hair between a pair of long shapely legs. "I _love _it. You are absolutely perfect, Asami. My turn."

The waterbender rose to her feet as she began to disrobe. There were no buttons or zippers, just a few knots. After those had been undone Korra could grab a fistful or two of fabric and remove the article of clothing in seconds. One by one they all came off and were tossed next to the pile of clothing that built up. After that Korra raised her arms above her head as she removed the tubes from her hair and it fell downwards onto her shoulders. "I'd ask if you like what you see, but we already know that you do."

Ever since the first day they had met, stray thoughts about Korra's body had been running through Asami's mind. The size of the woman's muscles, how large her breasts were, the flatness of those abs, whether or not that butt would jiggle if spanked. All of those thoughts vanished from her mind, now that all of them were laid bare and she could see the difference between her daydreaming and the real thing. Korra's breasts were undeniably larger than hers and all those muscles made it seem as if a marble statue had come to life for her sake alone. Last was an unruly thatch of black hair between her legs. As she stared at Korra, a welling of desire began to build in Asami's nether region and her hands twitched, eager to feel what she was looking at. "Get down here, already."

Korra sunk into a crouch before crawling forward on her hands and knees then lying down on top, brown legs resting between white and their chests pressed together. She grabbed the back of Korra's head with one hand and pulled in it for a kiss. Korra's mouth opened wider and her tongue came out to brush its tip against Asami's lips. Asami's lips parted and Korra's tongue took advantage, diving into the other woman's mouth. Their tongues rubbed together for a few seconds before Asami pulled away and began to giggle. Korra's brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"You taste like hot dogs and s'mores." Asami managed between further bouts of giggles. "I should have brought some breath mints."

Korra shook her head with a laugh. "We can kiss with tongue some other time then. How about this?" She pressed her lips against Asami's cheekbone and again a few centimeters below it. By the fourth kiss it had become apparent to Asami where that mouth was heading. She shivered as it drew closer and closer to her breast, eagerly anticipating the moment it got to the top. Sparks ran through her and Asami couldn't help but let out a small gasp as that tongue brushed against her nipple. A second came from the opposite direction then back upwards again. As the licks settled into a pattern the bud began to grow more prominent and stiffen under the loving attention paid to it. Asami let a second gasp as Korra opened her lips even wider and sucked the whole peak of Asami's breast into her mouth then released it and went for Asami's other breast. Once the second bud was fully rigid Korra began to go back and forth between them. Wet and slick noises filled the air as she licked and sucked as if she couldn't get enough.

"This feels really good..." Asami murmured as she shivered with delight. "I hope you pay as much attention to the rest of me."

"All in due time, Asami. How about you take a turn?"

Korra rolled over then sat upright, facing away. Asami licked her lips as she stared, savoring every line and curve of those back muscles. It was a feast she could stare at all day and not get bored, but now there was something even better than looking. Asami sat up and planted her lips against the brown neck, right at the spot where the collarbone began. Korra let her head fall back against a shoulder, exposing even more of her neck in the process, a clear invitation and one she was all too happy to accept. While Asami continued to kiss Korra's neck, her hands drifted as they explored the glorious figure in front of her. The muscles she had been admiring for weeks now felt almost like steel fibers beneath her fingers, strong but with some give when squeezed. It wasn't entirely muscle though, there were plenty of softer regions to savor. The waterbender let out a shaky breath and leaned back harder as hands settled onto her bosom. A satisfied smile crossed Asami's face as she kneaded the pliable flesh with a light touch, the reaction encouraging her to continue. One hand remained in position and the other slid further down along a flat stomach. As it approached her pelvis Korra placed a hand on Asami's wrist to stop it. "I like what you're thinking, but I'd rather you taste how wet you're making me."

Asami started to open her mouth, but wasn't given the chance to speak. Korra pushed herself forward to give herself some space then turned and pushed against Asami's shoulder. Asami gave a mental shrug at skipping the rest of their foreplay and she let herself be moved until her back was flat against the ground. Korra rocked forward until she was on her forearms and knees, then crawled backwards until their face and pelvises were lined up. Asami's mouth went dry as she gazed upwards at glistening folds parted just enough to tantalize what lay inside. At the same time Asami knew she was putting on a similar display and a thrill of excitement ran down her spine, not only at the thought of being admired, but at what was about to happen. She didn't have long to wait as Korra slid her knees backwards until there were mere centimeters between all four sets of lips. She tilted her head up and dragged her tongue from one end of Korra's wet sex to the other then back the other way, trying to get as much of the clear liquid as possible, before swallowing. "You taste delicious." Asami declared before moving back in for more.

At the same time Asami could feel a tongue beginning to brush against her sex. It was in no rush as it painstakingly glided along, millimeter by millimeter, as if trying to memorize all of it. Eventually Korra's efforts brought her to the bottom and her tongue withdrew, much to Asami's dismay. It was short lived, however, as fingers moved in. A thumb pressed against a spot just above Asami's folds and pulled up on the skin. The tongue resumed its licking, but this time it remained focused on one particular area now that it was fully exposed, the clit. An ever growing pleasure emanated outwards, and Asami's head involuntarily dropped to the ground as she shuddered. Her mind was growing foggy and it was becoming increasingly hard to focus on anything but that wondrous tongue licking her. Korra had spoken of sharing her bed with other women in the past and the last coherent thought running through Asami's brain was that it had paid massive dividends if the tongue rendering her paralyzed was any indicator. Her muscles tensed and she let out a loud cry while coming against the face between her legs. "K-korra!"

While her orgasm ran its course Asami's legs twitched and she pressed the back of her hand against her mouth. She inhaled sharply several times before catching her breath. Once it returned Asami's attention shifted to the woman still in place on top of her. Those hips began to sway from side to side and sink lower. Asami hungrily stared at the shining parts each hand took hold of a thigh and pulled them closer. Korra had taken such wonderful care of her and now it was time to repay the favor. Her tongue glided up and down once again, but not limiting itself to any particular area. Instead it brushed against the puffy folds from every angle, outside and inside, the hair up top, anything and everything she could reach with her tongue. She desperately wanted to taste it all. Despite being an easily achievable goal, the result of said desire was that it would take longer to get her lover off. Neither woman had any problem with that however. Seconds stretched into minutes of Korra trembling in ecstasy as Asami happily slurped away. Eventually the trembles came to a peak and Korra's head rose and her back arched as she cried her lovers name then sagged back downwards.

Asami gently eased Korra's legs to the side and she scooted backwards until out from underneath the other woman. Once free she crawled back forward and wrapped her arms around Korra while planting gentle pecks against her cheek. "Thank you. That was wonderful."

Korra turned her head to the side to face Asami and cracked her eyes open while smiling gently. "You're the wonderful one. You made all of this happen so thank _you_, Asami." She grabbed Asami by the waist and pulled her closer until their bodies were together once again and their lips brushed against each other in a longer and deeper kiss.

Earlier Asami had joked about the taste on Korra's lips, but that no longer mattered after what they had just done. The only thing she felt now was the warmth and gratitude coming from the other woman. Her fiancée, now her girlfriend and lover.


End file.
